scrubs

British

/ skrʌbs /

plural noun

the hygienic clothing worn by surgeons and other operating theatre staff during an operation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Various male doctors or nurses in green scrubs are seen in the video on Kildow's Instagram handle.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

Most preshow work happens in her “dog room,” a basement utility space where pet scrubs and tinctures abound like makeup at Sephora.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026

Former “Grey’s Anatomy” heartthrob Patrick Dempsey trades in his “McDreamy” scrubs for a high-powered rifle in Fox’s thriller drama.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

I'm wearing scrubs at the back of an operating theatre at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

Then, beyond Chas’s shoulder, at the edge of the dance floor, I caught a glimpse of green surgical scrubs and soft black hair draping over the glint of a stethoscope.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023