ENGLISH
REFERENCE

scrubbed

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈskɹəbd// UK //skɹˈʌbd// scrubbed

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.


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.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used as a participial adjective in medical contexts; often follows the verb 'to be'.

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