rubout

See also: rub out

English

Etymology

Deverbal from rub out.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (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^[1]:

     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.