grub

[ gruhb ]

noun

1. the thick-bodied, sluggish larva of several insects, as of a scarab beetle.
2. a dull, plodding person; drudge.
3. an unkempt person.
4. Slang. food; victuals.
5. any remaining roots or stumps after cutting vegetation to clear land for farming.

verb (used with object)

, grubbed, grub·bing.

1. to dig; clear of roots, stumps, etc.
2. to dig up by the roots; uproot (often followed by up or out ).
3. Slang. to supply with food; feed.
4. Slang. to scrounge:

   to grub a cigarette.

verb (used without object)

, grubbed, grub·bing.

1. to dig; search by or as if by digging:

   We grubbed through piles of old junk to find the deed.

2. to lead a laborious or groveling life; drudge:

   It's wonderful to have money after having to grub for so many years.

3. to engage in laborious study.
4. Slang. to eat; take food.

grub

/ ɡrʌb /

verb

1. whentr, often foll by up or out to search for and pull up (roots, stumps, etc) by digging in the ground
2. to dig up the surface of (ground, soil, etc), esp to clear away roots, stumps, etc
3. intr; often foll by in or among to search carefully
4. intr to work unceasingly, esp at a dull task or research
5. slang.
   to provide (a person) with food or (of a person) to take food
6. slang.
   tr to scrounge

   to grub a cigarette

noun

1. the short legless larva of certain insects, esp beetles
2. slang.
   food; victuals
3. a person who works hard, esp in a dull plodding way
4. informal.
   a dirty child

Other Words From

• grubber noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grub¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English grubbe (noun), grubben (verb); akin to Old High German grubilōn “to dig,” German grübeln “to rack (the brain),” Old Norse gryfia “hole, pit”; grave ¹, groove

Word History and Origins

Origin of grub¹

C13: of Germanic origin; compare Old High German grubilōn to dig, German grübeln to rack one's brain, Middle Dutch grobben to scrape together; see grave ³, groove

Example Sentences

When it comes to more casual grub, you’re looking at a pretty standard concessions operation, with a few notable exceptions.

From Outside Online

They gathered food in fruit trees above the pens, and the swine gulped down the guano and infected bits of grub that rained from above.

From Popular-Science

Meg may have weighed as much as three times more, and would have presumably required proportional grub.

From Popular-Science

From there, you’ll want to get a bit of grub, with a side of history.

From Essence.com

It was more the job of Gollum, kneeling in the muck of the lowlands, head down, digging with bare hands alongside the grubs and earthworms.

From Popular-Science

Real-estate expert Julian Hitchcock told Grub Street he expects to see more chain restaurants pop up in New York.

From The Daily Beast

The man who started the L.A. food truck craze shares his favorite spots to grab some delicious grub on wheels.

From The Daily Beast

Nothing humbles an autocrat quite like the need to grub for votes.

From The Daily Beast

Good grub, lots of monitors, and the waitresses are usually hot.

From The Daily Beast

Summer is just over the surf, so start looking now for those hidden beach shacks where the best grub of the season is found.

From The Daily Beast

It wasn't long before she surprised the object of her search in the act of eating a fat grub beside a pumpkin.

From Project Gutenberg

What of the infinite goodness of God in teaching the grub of the ichneumon-fly to eat up the cabbage caterpillar alive?

From Project Gutenberg

For that matter, he said, he didn't care a tinker's dam if we were; he had grub and bedding and we were welcome to both.

From Project Gutenberg

While we were packing grub and bedding on Piegan's extra horse, Lyn joined us, wrapped from head to heel in a yellow slicker.

From Project Gutenberg

She said Noo York took a turrible lot of money–clothes, and grub, and so forth and so on.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• maggot
• worm