scrub

¹

[ skruhb ]

verb (used with object)

, scrubbed, scrub·bing.

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.

verb (used without object)

, scrubbed, scrub·bing.

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. to cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery.

scrub

²

[ skruhb ]

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.

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

/ 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. the scrub informal.
   a remote place, esp one where contact with people can be avoided

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

/ 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. intrfoll byup (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

noun

1. the act of or an instance of scrubbing

Other Words From

• scrubba·ble adjective
• non·scrubba·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

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; shrub ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of scrub¹

C16: variation of shrub ¹

Origin of scrub²

C14: from Middle Low German schrubben, or Middle Dutch schrobben

Example Sentences

That tide has turned under President Xi Jinping, whose government is tightening controls on Pride events, restricting queer representation on TV and pressuring internet sites and platforms to scrub LGBTQ-friendly content.

From Los Angeles Times

He has also pledged to fire thousands of civil servants unless they pledge to be loyal to him, as well as scrub references to climate change from government documents.

From Salon

Several officers said in anonymous declarations earlier this year that they were forced to add extra security at their homes and pay for online services to scrub their identities from internet searches.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of that is a product of an educational system scrubbed clean of inconvenient history and basic civics lessons by conservative lobbyists and politicians.

From Salon

The scene was so familiar: the sour scent of the scrub brush and palms, the hillside homes glowing at dusk, the old burn in my calves.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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

About This Word

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.

Where does scrub come from?

Scrub has been slang for an “insignificant or contemptible person” since the 1500s. Over the centuries, the term was used as a slur to denigrate prostitutes and even Black people for a time. In the late 1800s, scrub was being used by athletes to deride inferior opponents. The term derives from a form of shrub.

In the 1990s, R&B girl group, TLC, helped make scrub a household term seemingly every woman in the 2000s used to describe broke guys. On the chorus of their 1999 track “No Scrubs,” TLC bops: “No, I don’t want no scrubs / A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me / Hangin’ out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride / Trying to holla at me.”

Scrub spread to video game culture in the 2010s, seeing heavy use on Steam, GameFAQs, and Reddit. Early on, it was especially used in fighting game communities for a poor or new player, (noob) but it since has expanded into other genres.

How is scrub used in real life?

Scrub is a general insult for someone who is bad at something. It can be applied in a range of contexts, from sports to video games to dating. Regarding the latter, a scrub usually refers to a man, though women aren’t exempt from the “lowlife” insult.

More examples of scrub:

“[Tristan] Thompson has never been an elite player, but ever since he started dated Khloe, his performances have really gone downhill. He’s not the great offensive rebounder he once was, and is looking more and more like an overpaid scrub.”
—Nemanja Vukasinovic, Fadeaway World, August 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.