Definition of “scrub” - English Dictionary

American
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“scrub” in English

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scrubverb

uk ​ /skrʌb/ us ​ /skrʌb/ -bb-

Phrasal verb(s)

scrub up

scrubnoun

uk ​ /skrʌb/ us ​ /skrʌb/

scrub noun (CLEAN)

› [ S ] UK the act of rubbing something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap, and water:

Kids, give your hands a good scrub and come and get your dinner!

› [ C ] a substance that you use to clean your skin and make it softer, especially one that is slightly rough and will remove old skin:

exfoliating facial scrubs

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

scrub noun (CLOTHES)

scrubs

› [ plural ] mainly US loose clothes worn by doctors and nurses in a hospital:

I saw a photo of her in doctor's scrubs.
scrubby
adjective uk ​ /ˈskrʌb.i/ us ​ /ˈskrʌb.i/

› covered with short trees and bushes:

scrubby vegetation

(Definition of “scrub” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“scrub” in American English

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scrubverb [ I/T ]

us ​ /skrʌb/ -bb-

scrub verb [ I/T ] (CLEAN)

› to clean something by rubbing it hard:

[ T ] After the tomato sauce boiled over, I had to scrub the stove.
[ I ] You scrub and scrub, but those marks never come off.

scrubnoun [ U ]

us ​ /skrʌb/

scrub noun [ U ] (PLANTS)

› low trees and bushes that grow in dirt that is not especially good or where it is windy and dry

(Definition of “scrub” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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