to rub hard with a brush, cloth, etc., or against a rough surface in washing.
to subject to friction; rub.
to remove (dirt, grime, etc.) from something by hard rubbing while washing.
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.
to cancel or postpone (a space flight or part of a mission): Ground control scrubbed the spacewalk.
Slang. to do away with; cancel: Scrub your vacation plans—there's work to do!
Computers.
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.
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.
to delete (negative or damaging online content relating to someone or something) so as to erase it from public record or social media: 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.
to cleanse something by hard rubbing.
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
an act or instance of scrubbing.
a canceled or postponed space flight, launching, scheduled part of a space mission, etc.
something, as a cosmetic preparation, used for scrubbing.
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: surgical scrubs;nursing scrubs.
Verb Phrases
scrub in / upto cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery.
Origin of scrub
1
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”
With the right ingredients and composition, a scalp scrub can bring you relief from itchiness and dryness as well as lasting satisfaction by improving your overall hair health.
Scalp scrubs that banish scaly patches and build-up|PopSci Commerce Team|September 4, 2020|Popular Science
While you’re scrubbing, Permar said, the most important thing to focus on is “getting soap everywhere, which takes 20 seconds to accomplish.”
A Dirtbag's Guide to Sanitation During a Pandemic|Maren Larsen|August 31, 2020|Outside Online
To keep shoppers and employees safe—or least feeling safe—companies are scrubbing down high-traffic areas, disinfecting surfaces such as touchscreens more frequently, and even employing robots to wipe floors.
Covid-19 has Walmart spending $3.3 million a day on cleaning and PPE|Marc Bain|August 19, 2020|Quartz
Standing in his scrubs, Akhtar had no idea when, or if, he would get back on the grid.
How India became the world’s leader in internet shutdowns|Katie McLean|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Have a copywriter familiar with regional dialects scrub through your copy to look for words, spelling, and colloquialisms that might not make sense for the area you’re targeting.
5 tips for starting international PPC|Tim Jensen|July 31, 2020|Search Engine Land
Do as Tumblr has done and scrub her last words off the Internet—erase everything she wanted the world to hear.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Havens is optimistic that if PHA beads could be used successfully in cosmetics without losing their ability to scrub.
Your Favorite Facewash Is Hurting Nemo|Alexa C. Kurzius|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It depicts an exhausted Texas oil field on scrub land, an old railroad bed and a watery ditch converging in the distance.
Rackstraw Downes’s Art and Essays Are Two Sides of the Same Genius|Bill Morris|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The newest edition adapts the same principles to the digital age and urges kids to scrub their Facebook pages.
How to Reinvent College Rankings: Show the Data Students Need Most|Steve Cohen|March 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The contamination was ultimately traced back to a scrub technician named Kristen Parker.
Doctor Accused of Infecting Patients With Hepatitis C Breaks Silence|Carol McKinley|February 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With his besom he began to scrub the refuse out of every corner.
Aspects and Impressions|Edmund Gosse
At Zanatepec on July 13, 1956, males were calling from a flooded field bordered by scrub forest.
A Distributional Study of the Amphibians of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico|William E. Duellman
Johnny Kline, as captain of the scrub, bent every energy to beating the regulars, and pitched as he had never done before.
Fast Nine|Alan Douglas
Its naturally rich fields were grown up to scrub pines, mugworts and wormwood.
Three Years in the Sixth Corps|George T. Stevens
Kerr asked him to let Tom pitch, but Langridge refused arrogantly and with bitter words against the scrub twirler.
The Rival Pitchers|Lester Chadwick
British Dictionary definitions for scrub (1 of 2)
scrub1
/ (skrʌb) /
verbscrubs, scrubbingorscrubbed
to rub (a surface) hard, with or as if with a brush, soap, and water, in order to clean it
to remove (dirt), esp by rubbing with a brush and water
(intr foll by up) (of a surgeon) to wash the hands and arms thoroughly before operating
(tr)to purify (a vapour or gas) by removing impurities
(tr)informalto delete or cancel
(intr)horse racingslang(of jockeys) to urge a horse forwards by moving the arms and whip rhythmically forwards and backwards alongside its neck
noun
the act of or an instance of scrubbing
See also scrub round
Word Origin for scrub
C14: from Middle Low German schrubben, or Middle Dutch schrobben
British Dictionary definitions for scrub (2 of 2)
scrub2
/ (skrʌb) /
noun
vegetation consisting of stunted trees, bushes, and other plants growing in an arid area
(as modifier)scrub vegetation
an area of arid land covered with such vegetation
an animal of inferior breeding or condition
(as modifier)a scrub bull
a small or insignificant person
anything stunted or inferior
sport, US and Canadiana player not in the first team
the scrubAustralianinformala remote place, esp one where contact with people can be avoided
adjective
small, stunted, or inferior
sport, US and Canadian
(of a player) not in the first team
(of a team) composed of such players
(of a contest) between scratch or incomplete teams