scrub

scrub¹ [skrʌb] v past tense and past participle scrubbed present participle scrubbing

[Date: 1200-1300; : Low German; Origin: or a Scandinavian language]

1.) [I and T]

to rub something hard, especially with a stiff brush, in order to clean it

▪ She was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor.

▪ He scrubbed the dirt off his boots.

▪ The table needs to be scrubbed clean .

scrub at

▪ She scrubbed at her face with a tissue.

→↑clean

2.) [T] informal

to decide not to do something that you had planned

= ↑cancel

▪ We scrubbed the idea in the end.

scrub out [scrub sth<=>out] phr v

to clean the inside of a place thoroughly

▪ The rooms are all scrubbed out once a week.

scrub up phr v

to wash your hands and arms before doing a medical operation

scrub ²

scrub² n

[Sense: 1; Date: 1300-1400; Origin: shrub]

[Sense: 2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: SCRUB¹]

1.) [U]

low bushes and trees that grow in very dry soil

2.) [singular] especially BrE if you give something a scrub, you clean it by rubbing it hard

▪ I gave the floor a good scrub .