shrub
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
noun
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a mixed drink of rum, fruit juice, sugar, and spice
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mixed fruit juice, sugar, and spice made commercially to be mixed with rum or other spirits
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shrub1
before 1000; Middle English shrubbe, Old English scrybb brushwood; cognate with dialectal Danish skrub
Origin of shrub2
1740–50; < Arabic, metathetic variant of shurb drink; see sherbet
Explanation
A shrub is a short, tree-like plant with many stems or branches. If you want to tastefully spruce up your front yard, you might plant a flowering shrub or two — or maybe you're the type who would prefer some plastic garden gnomes. Shrubs are similar to trees with two exceptions: they are shorter and have more individual stems, rather than a wide, thick trunk. Some plants, like a hazelnut, can grow into either a shrub or a tree. You can also call a shrub a bush. The origin of shrub is a bit uncertain, but some experts believe it shares a Scandinavian root with the Norwegian skrubba, "dwarf tree."
Vocabulary lists containing shrub
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.
Rhododendron is a non-native shrub which was introduced to gardens as an ornamental plant by the Victorians.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
Ptilotus senarius is a delicate shrub with purple pink flowers that resemble small feathered fireworks.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
A hawthorn is a shrub, often used in hedges, whose sharp thorns catch on intruders’ clothes or skin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
A “We Love Altadena” sign hangs from a shrub on Christmas Tree Lane.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
He was staring at a shrub of silver-veined leaves clustered near the roots of a nearby tree.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
