shrub

¹

[shruhb]

noun

1. a woody plant smaller than a tree, usually having multiple permanent stems branching from or near the ground.

shrub

²

[shruhb]

noun

1. any of various acidulated beverages made from the juice of fruit, sugar, and other ingredients, often including alcohol.

shrub

¹

/ ʃrʌb /

noun

1. a mixed drink of rum, fruit juice, sugar, and spice

2. mixed fruit juice, sugar, and spice made commercially to be mixed with rum or other spirits

shrub

²

/ ʃrʌb /

noun

1. a woody perennial plant, smaller than a tree, with several major branches arising from near the base of the main stem

shrub

1. A woody plant that is smaller than a tree, usually having several stems rather than a single trunk; a bush.

Other Word Forms

• shrubless adjective
• shrublike adjective

Word History and Origins

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; sherbet

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrub¹

C18: from Arabic sharāb, variant of shurb drink; see _sherbet

Origin of shrub²

Old English scrybb; related to Middle Low German schrubben coarse, uneven, Old Swedish skrubba to _scrub ¹

Example Sentences

Plant them with low shrubs and perennial plants that are forest-adapted to grow among leaves, so that you and your blower can take a break.

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There were trees and ferns and rocks and shrubs and small forest animals.

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The environment it inhabits is characterized by small-leaved shrubs and scattered stones, creating the perfect camouflage for this elusive reptile.

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He said if they find grasses and shrubs are thinning, sometimes they shut down nearby wells.

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For me, the most novel recipes are found in the drinks section, which includes recipes for egg creams, tart shrubs and sweet syrups—nods to the elaborate soda fountains that flourished in the past century.

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Related Words

• foliage 
• hedge 
• shrubbery 
• thicket 
• topiary 
• tree