scrub

¹ American  

[skruhb] / skrʌb /

verb (used with object)

scrubbed, scrubbing

1. to rub hard with a brush, cloth, etc., or against a rough surface in washing.

2. to subject to friction; rub.

3. to remove (dirt, grime, etc.) from something by hard rubbing while washing.

4. Chemistry.  to remove (impurities or undesirable components) from a gas by chemical means, as sulfur dioxide from smokestack gas or carbon dioxide from exhaled air in life-support packs.

5. to cancel or postpone (a space flight or part of a mission).

   Ground control scrubbed the spacewalk.

6. Slang.  to do away with; cancel.

   Scrub your vacation plans—there's work to do!

7. Computers.

   1. to perform routine maintenance on (data) in memory or storage with scans that detect and correct data corruption.

      The system is automated to scrub and archive all active records in the database.

   2. to permanently erase (a hard drive, server, etc.), usually by writing over space where data had been stored and was later deleted, so that deleted data cannot be recovered.

      Scrub your computer’s hard drive before you sell or donate it.

   3. to delete (negative or damaging online content relating to someone or something) so as to erase it from public record or social media: Before applying for jobs, I scrubbed a bunch of posts from my hard-partying past.

      The marketing team scrubbed the disgraced celebrity spokesperson from their website within hours of the scandal.

      Before applying for jobs, I scrubbed a bunch of posts from my hard-partying past.

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verb (used without object)

scrubbed, scrubbing

1. to cleanse something by hard rubbing.

2. Digital Technology.  to fast-forward or rewind in an audio or video file by dragging the progress marker forward or backward across the timeline bar.

   Scrub forward through the pregame and start playback from the kickoff.

noun

1. an act or instance of scrubbing.

2. a canceled or postponed space flight, launching, scheduled part of a space mission, etc.

3. something, as a cosmetic preparation, used for scrubbing.

4. scrubs, a uniform, durably designed for frequent washing and sanitizing, usually consisting of pants and a loose-fitting top, worn by doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, especially during surgery: nursing scrubs.

   surgical scrubs;

   nursing scrubs.

verb phrase

1. scrub in / up  to cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery.

scrub ² American  

[skruhb] / skrʌb /

noun

1. low trees or shrubs collectively.

2. a large area covered with low trees and shrubs, as the Australian bush.

3. a domestic animal of mixed or inferior breeding; mongrel.

4. a small or insignificant person.

5. anything undersized or inferior.

6. Sports.  a player not belonging to the varsity or regular team; a player who is not first-string.

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adjective

1. small, undersized, or stunted.

2. inferior or insignificant.

3. abounding in or covered with low trees and shrubs.

   They rode through scrub country.

scrub ¹ British  

/ skrʌb /

noun

1. 1. vegetation consisting of stunted trees, bushes, and other plants growing in an arid area

   2. ( as modifier )

      scrub vegetation

2. an area of arid land covered with such vegetation

3. 1. an animal of inferior breeding or condition

   2. ( as modifier )

      a scrub bull

4. a small or insignificant person

5. anything stunted or inferior

6. sport a player not in the first team

7. informal  a remote place, esp one where contact with people can be avoided

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adjective

1. small, stunted, or inferior

2. sport

   1. (of a player) not in the first team

   2. (of a team) composed of such players

   3. (of a contest) between scratch or incomplete teams

scrub ² British  

/ skrʌb /

verb

1. to rub (a surface) hard, with or as if with a brush, soap, and water, in order to clean it

2. to remove (dirt), esp by rubbing with a brush and water

3. (of a surgeon) to wash the hands and arms thoroughly before operating

4. (tr) to purify (a vapour or gas) by removing impurities

5. informal  (tr) to delete or cancel

6. slang  (intr) horse racing (of jockeys) to urge a horse forwards by moving the arms and whip rhythmically forwards and backwards alongside its neck

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noun

1. the act of or an instance of scrubbing

Usage

What else does scrub mean? Scrub is slang for someone who is just plain bad at something—a no-talent hack. This could be in sports, video games, or thanks to TLC's hit song, relationships.

Other Word Forms

• nonscrubbable adjective
• scrubbable adjective

Etymology

Origin of scrub¹

First recorded in 1300–50; of uncertain origin; Middle English verb scrobben, shrubben, borrowed from or related to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German schrobben “to scrub, scrape”

Origin of scrub²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English shrub(be), shrob(be), Old English scrybb; shrub ¹

Example Sentences

She is so busy scrubbing coffee cups and baby butts that she forgets that most precious piece of metal, her wedding ring.

From Salon

As a young father, Craig moved his family to the Northern Territories of Australia, where he wrangled “scrub bulls and buffalo” that had escaped from herds and needed to be sent to market.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a meticulously choreographed exercise designed to quickly scrub the streets clean of holiday cheer.

From The Wall Street Journal

Workers are exposed to the street as they scrub, wax and buff the parade of vehicles that streams in between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., seven days a week.

From Los Angeles Times

Capote perfectly captures the sacramental quality of the holiday—how, through the exhaustive labor of polishing and scrubbing, we consecrate the routine rooms of daily existence into a sanctuary for celebration.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• brush
• cleanse
• mop
• rub
• scour
• wash