Word
grub
US/ˈɡɹəb/
UK/ɡɹˈʌb/
Uncountable noun Informal
Definition
n. an informal word for food. You use this when you are talking about eating in a very casual way with friends.
n. food or a meal. Informal in register and typically used in colloquial British or Australian English.
Examples
“Let's go get some grub before the movie starts.”
“The pub serves decent grub at a very reasonable price for the city center.”
“After a long day of hiking through the valley, the group was eager to find some hot grub and a place to rest.”
Examples
simple
“Let's go get some grub before the movie starts.”
contextual
“The pub serves decent grub at a very reasonable price for the city center.”
complex
“After a long day of hiking through the valley, the group was eager to find some hot grub and a place to rest.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to food; often used with the verb 'get'.
Etymology
From Middle English grubben, grobben, from Old English grubbian, from Proto-West Germanic grubb-, from Proto-Germanic grubb- (compare Middle Dutch grobben (“to scrape, scramble, grab”), Old High German grubilōn (“to dig, search”), German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”)), from Proto-Germanic grub- (“to dig”) (see *grabaną). The noun sense of "larva" is from Middle English grub, grubbe, grobbe, crubbe and may derive from the notion of "digging insect" from the verb above, or from the uncertainly related Middle English grub (“dwarfish fellow”). Compare West Frisian krobbe (“beetle”). The slang sense of "food" is first recorded 1659, and has been linked with birds eating grubs or with bub (“drink”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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