rubout

See also: rub out

English

Etymology

Deverbal from rub out.

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun

rubout (plural rubouts)

  1. An instance of erasing with a rubber.
  2. (slang, by extension) An assassination.
    • 2007 June 8, Holland Cotter, “Quirks and Attitude to Burn”, in New York Times‎:
      This high-concept take on low life includes a concealed lethal weapon (by Claire Fontaine); photographic evidence of a rubout (by Torbjorn Rodland); and cryptic, possibly sinister messages galore from Tauba Auerbach, Daniel Knorr, David Lieske and Matias Faldbakken.
  3. (computing, uncountable, by extension, dated) Synonym of backspace.
    • 1990, Michael D. Harrison, Harold Thimbleby, Formal methods in human-computer interaction, page 130:
      A direct manipulation editor would support, for example, a single rubout key that uses the cursor to find the appropriate character for deletion […]
    • 2002, Brotha G, “ZX81 Prototype Keyboard”, in comp.sys.sinclair (Usenet):
      The TS-1000 had ENTER instead of NEW LINE and DELETE instead of RUBOUT.
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