rubber bandn.
/ˌrʌbə ˈband/, U.S. /ˈrəbər ˌbænd/ A loop of rubber or similar material used to hold papers or other objects together. Cf. elastic band at elastic adj. 4a.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > rubber > [noun] > in specific form
rubber sheet1842
rubber band1849
cut sheet1900
sheet1900
crêpe rubber1907
smoked sheet1909
twist1909
air foam1937
foam1937
1849 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 23 May 20 gross rubber bands, 1 inch.
1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 117/1 Cabinet of assorted pure rubber bands for home and office use.
1919 F. Hurst Humoresque 128 ‘I asked you why you was like a rubber band.’ ‘Aw, I give up, Miss Sadie.’ ‘'Cause you're so stretchy, see?’
1947 J. C. Rich Materials & Methods Sculpt. v. 121 Tape or rubber bands can be used to hold sections of a mold together for casting positives.
1973 ‘E. McBain’ Let's hear It xv. 216 He removed the rubber band from the roll, and spread the plans on the floor.
2004 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 22 Dec. a18/5 Removing the rubber band, he peels off dollar coupons with an air of bored indifference.
Compounds
rubber-band gun n. a toy, typically in the shape of a pistol or rifle, which fires stretched rubber bands, or which uses a rubber band to propel other projectiles.
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1918 Pop. Sci. Monthly Oct. 143/1 (heading) A straight shooting rubber-band gun for boys.
1956 Pop. Mech. Mag. May 191/1 Simple rubber-band gun. This toy gun utilizes a rubber band to shoot arrows.
1999 N. Howe Adventures of Blue Avenger (2000) 76 I don't have a problem with water guns. Or even rubber-band guns—like the homemade kind, with a clothespin on one end.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
rubber bandv.
/ˌrʌbə ˈband/, U.S. /ˈrəbər ˌbænd/ transitive. To secure or fasten together with a rubber band.
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1896 Anthony's Photogr. Bull. Apr. 122 The wind is sure to jamb the drop and render it immovable, unless it is rubber-banded to such an extent that it is untrustworthy.
1911 11th Ann. Iowa Year Bk. Agric. 1910 722 The two pencils are firmly rubber banded together.
1962 D. Lessing Golden Notebk. iv. 488 I found a stack of letters rubber-banded together in one corner.
2003 V. Staten Why is Foul Pole Fair? vi. 126 I do remember rubber banding them but I didn't pay attention to the order.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1849v.1896