Word
scrubbed
US/ˈskɹəbd/
UK/skɹˈʌbd/
Definition
adj. completely clean and free from germs because someone has washed it very hard. In a hospital, it describes a doctor who has prepared their hands and arms for an operation.
adj. thoroughly cleaned by hard rubbing, specifically in a medical context to describe personnel who have undergone surgical hand disinfection. Often used predicatively to indicate a state of readiness for a sterile procedure.
Examples
“The surgeon is scrubbed and ready to begin.”
“Once the lead doctor is fully scrubbed, they must keep their hands above waist level to maintain sterility.”
“The entire surgical team remained scrubbed for the duration of the six-hour procedure, ensuring that no contaminants were introduced into the sterile field during the delicate operation.”
Examples
simple
“The surgeon is scrubbed and ready to begin.”
contextual
“Once the lead doctor is fully scrubbed, they must keep their hands above waist level to maintain sterility.”
complex
“The entire surgical team remained scrubbed for the duration of the six-hour procedure, ensuring that no contaminants were introduced into the sterile field during the delicate operation.”
Usage
Commonly used as a participial adjective in medical contexts; often follows the verb 'to be'.
Real-World Examples
“Here is Kate Moss, with pink hair splayed across a pillow, her face scrubbed of makeup, her smile sweet and wonky.” Word family
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/scrubbed