scrub
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to rub something hard with a brush or cloth to clean it.
v.to clean or scour a surface by applying vigorous friction, typically with a stiff brush and water.
Simple“You need to scrub the kitchen floor to get those muddy footprints off.”
In context“The maintenance crew had to scrub the stone walls for hours to remove the layers of accumulated grime and graffiti.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to decide not to do something that was planned.
v.to cancel or abandon a scheduled event or project, often at short notice.
Simple“The company decided to scrub the project because it was too expensive.”
In context“The mission director was forced to scrub the launch just minutes before lift-off due to a sudden change in wind speed.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the loose clothes that doctors and nurses wear in a hospital.
n.hygienic clothing worn by surgeons and other operating room personnel, now used broadly for any medical uniform.
Simple“The surgeon changed into her green scrubs before the operation started.”
In context“After a long shift in the emergency room, his blue scrubs were wrinkled and stained with coffee.”
UsageUsually used in the plural form 'scrubs'.
Synonymsuniformmedical dress - 04 C1 Advanced
n.someone who is not good at something or has no money or style.
n.a derogatory term for a person perceived as inferior, incompetent, or unsuccessful.
Simple“He's just a scrub who spends all day complaining and doing nothing.”
In context“The veteran players had little patience for the new recruit, dismissively labeling him a scrub after his first few mistakes on the field.”
Teacher's tipThis term was popularized in 1990s pop culture to describe a man who is unsuccessful or lacks ambition.
“On the downside, it’s a musical, and you will never be able to scrub It’s a Hap-Hap-Happy Day from your brain.”
“While it’s easy to scrub digital files, C2PA may actually offer a better way to determine what’s real.”
Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence.
From Middle English scrobben (“groom a horse with a currycomb”); from Middle Dutch schrobben (“clean by scrubbing”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.