Eraser, (also called a rubber outside the United States) and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Some pencils have an eraser on one end. Less expensive erasers are made from synthetic rubber and synthetic soy-based gum, but more expensive or specialized erasers are vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials.

At first, erasers were made to erase mistakes made with a pencil; later, more abrasive ink erasers were introduced. The term is also used for things that remove writing from chalkboards and whiteboards. Ink erasers are denser, allowing them to erase pen marks.