scrub

¹ American  

[skruhb] / skrʌb /

verb (used with object)

• scrubs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scrubbed,
  past participle,  past
• scrubbing
  present participle

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)

• scrubs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scrubbed,
  past participle,  past
• scrubbing
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

• nonscrubbable
  adjective
• scrubbable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• scrubbing
  present
• scrubbed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• scrub
  simple
• scrubs
  simple
• have scrubbed
  perfect
• has scrubbed
  perfect
• am scrubbing
  progressive
• are scrubbing
  progressive
• is scrubbing
  progressive
• have been scrubbing
  perfect progressive
• has been scrubbing
  perfect progressive

Past

• scrubbed
  simple
• had scrubbed
  perfect
• was scrubbing
  progressive
• were scrubbing
  progressive
• had been scrubbing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scrub
  simple
• will have scrubbed
  perfect
• will be scrubbing
  progressive
• will have been scrubbing
  perfect progressive

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; see shrub ¹

Explanation

When you scrub something, you wash it forcefully. You might scrub your dirty bathtub with a brush and some bleach, for example. When you scrub your floor, you use elbow grease — in other words, you work hard to get the floor clean. You might need to scrub your fingernails after a morning working on your car's engine, rubbing with a nail brush to get the grease off. Word experts think that scrub comes from the Middle Low German word schrubben, which also means "to scrub."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scrub scrubs scrubbed scrubbing

Three times most days, groups of high-school juniors scrape, scrub and stow kitchenware and cutlery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Along the Beagle Channel, an icy stretch of water at the southern tip of the Americas, a concrete slab rises from hills covered in low, brownish scrub.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

First attempts to scrub off the paint on the court were not completely successful, so contractors have been on site using "laser technology".

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

McElwee refuses to scrub the truth from his personal histories, choosing instead to confront his own regrets head-on.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

“He just got here, and you're going to make him scrub the bathroom?” said Somkit.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Using multiple exfoliants, acid-based cleansers or granular scrubs can be too harsh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

She co-founded the vegan skincare company Hyphen with Bollywood star Kriti Sanon in 2023 and also runs mCaffeine which makes scrubs, washes and lotions and calls itself India's first caffeinated personal care brand.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

In fact, if you come as a visitor, you have to put on scrubs so you fit in — and you feel really uncomfortable and you can’t wait to leave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026

“Where’s the rest?” asks a bearded guy in scrubs.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

He scrubbed toilets in exchange for free improv classes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Any data we receive will be rigorously scrubbed of any personally identifiable information by a third party before receipt.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Maas scrubbed her Instagram of all previous posts for the big reveal, and digital billboards in Los Angeles, Denver and New York City also broadcast the book news.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

SpaceX on Thursday scrubbed what was to be its first Starship flight since the company went public, abruptly calling it off just as the booster began to ignite.

From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026

The boys hung back, their pomaded hair and scrubbed faces serious, their pressed pants making them look as stiff as paper dolls.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

While they do light cleaning, they typically draw the line at deep scrubbing, and they oversee not just the kids but all the details that keep a household running smoothly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

It’s a scrubbing of the past, an act of forgetting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

They simulated real-world use by repeatedly scrubbing the sponges against rough metal surfaces.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2026

The top of the dresser needed serious rehab: scrubbing, sanding and repainting to create a shiny finish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

Then she turned and went into the house, and when I went in a minute later she was calmly scrubbing some beets.

From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Related Words

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