What is an eraser? Everyone knows that this is an eraser that every schoolchild has. But, in addition to the indicated, this token has other interpretations. Read more about what an eraser will be described in the article.
Dictionary word
Several values of the eraser are indicated there:
- One of the stationery used to eliminate pencil and ink labels on paper or other writing surfaces.
- Cotton fabric with a satin weave is a type of lining fabric.
- The name of the two communes in France. One of them is in the Cantal department, the other in Puy-de-Dome.
- The writer is from the book of Nikolai Nosov "Dunno in the Solar City."
Understanding what “eraser” means helps you become familiar with the origin of the term.
Etymology
There are two versions regarding the origin of the word “eraser” in the meaning of “eraser”. According to the first of them, it is formed from the French phrase gomme elastique, meaning an eraser.
The second version suggests that the word comes from the Latin adjective elasticus, the meaning of which is “elastic, elastic”.
As for the other interpretation - the lining fabric, here is a completely different version of the origin. The name came into Russian from English by borrowing. There is an adjective lasting, which translates as “durable”, “permanent”, “long”.
In continuation of the consideration of the question of what is an eraser, we will say more about some of its meanings.
Unvulcanized rubber
As mentioned above, eraser removes pencil, and in some cases, ink labels. This is a piece of soft unvulcanized rubber. Vulcanization is the interaction of rubber with a reagent that causes crosslinking of rubber molecules into a single spatial network. Sometimes the gum is attached to the back of the pencil. It comes in different colors and densities. The softer it is, the more convenient it is to use.
When the gum is rubbed on paper, where there is an inscription, it erases pieces of graphite from there. Then they stick to the surface of the eraser, which also forms small pieces. As a result, both the surface on which there is an inscription and the used gum layer are cleaned.
In dried and low-quality specimens, the used layer is not erased, they stain the paper. This is because adhered graphite that has not come off the gum layer is smeared on paper. Erasers made of rubber are strongly affected by external influences. They are recommended to be kept in packaging to avoid exposure to sunlight and air.
Historical facts
Until the 18th century, pencil inscriptions were erased in various ways. The most common material was bread crumb. There is evidence of this dating back to the Meiji era (1868–1912) — Japan's renunciation of self-isolation and becoming a world power. One Tokyo student wrote that they used bread erasers instead of rubber, which were issued to them without any quantitative restrictions. Therefore, students, without hesitation, could eat them in order to at least a little satisfy their hunger.
Rubber was obtained by Europeans after Columbus' sea voyages. The discoverer left notes about how the Indians living on the island of Haiti played a ball, which consisted of a thickened, leaked from cuts of a tree of milky juice. This tree was Brazilian Hevea, which the Indians called “crying,” and the substance secreted by it was “tears of a tree,” which sounded like “kao-chu.”
The Indians used rubber to attach jewelry to their bodies and make dishes. It was brought to Europe in 1751 by Charles Condamine, a mathematician and traveler. Despite prolonged observation of this material, he managed to discover only one of its useful properties - elasticity. Such a property of rubber, such as cleaning the surface of a paper from a pencil, was first described in 1770 by Joseph Priestley.
In conclusion, studying what an eraser is, we will consider a fabric with that name.
Thin cloth
The eraser refers to dense satin-woven cotton fabrics whose front side is smooth and shiny. It was produced mainly with one-colored, different color shades. They made inexpensive men's summer clothes from him. And also lining for men's coats and suits, liveries intended for servants.
If you compare the eraser with other satin cotton fabrics, it should be noted that it is more dense than satin. But it is much thinner than jean. Extra heavy is an eraser take. There is another type of this fabric. It includes an elastic material having a rubber base and silk or cotton ducks. She was released in ribbons and used in garters, suspenders, belts, and boots.