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scrub

v. · n.
US //ˈskɹəb// UK //skɹˈʌb// scrub
  1. 1 to clean by rubbing (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to rub something hard with a brush or cloth to clean it.

    to clean or scour a surface by applying vigorous friction, typically with a stiff brush and water.

    Example

    You need to scrub the kitchen floor to get those muddy footprints off.

    Example

    The maintenance crew had to scrub the stone walls for hours to remove the layers of accumulated grime and graffiti.
  2. 2 to cancel (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to decide not to do something that was planned.

    to cancel or abandon a scheduled event or project, often at short notice.

    Example

    The company decided to scrub the project because it was too expensive.

    Example

    The mission director was forced to scrub the launch just minutes before lift-off due to a sudden change in wind speed.
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  1. 3 medical clothes (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Medicine

    the loose clothes that doctors and nurses wear in a hospital.

    hygienic clothing worn by surgeons and other operating room personnel, now used broadly for any medical uniform.

    Example

    The surgeon changed into her green scrubs before the operation started.

    Example

    After a long shift in the emergency room, his blue scrubs were wrinkled and stained with coffee.

    Usage

    Usually used in the plural form 'scrubs'.
  2. 4 an incompetent person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal

    someone who is not good at something or has no money or style.

    a derogatory term for a person perceived as inferior, incompetent, or unsuccessful.

    Example

    He's just a scrub who spends all day complaining and doing nothing.

    Example

    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 tip

    This term was popularized in 1990s pop culture to describe a man who is unsuccessful or lacks ambition.
Etymology 1

Late Middle English in the sense of "stunted tree," a variant of shrub, possibly under Old Norse influence.

Etymology 2

From Middle English scrobben (“groom a horse with a currycomb”); from Middle Dutch schrobben (“clean by scrubbing”).

Word family

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