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# scrub

«scrub» in Mova's school dictionary: **to clean something by rubbing it hard, often with a…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (scrub, scrubs, scrubbed, scrubbing); noun (scrub — uncountable land; a scrub — a hard rub; scrubs — doctors' clothes)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To scrub means to clean something by rubbing it hard, often with a brush, soap and water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#m1)

2) Scrub is land covered with low bushes and small trees, with little grass. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#m2)

3) Scrubs are the loose, plain clothes that doctors and nurses wear in hospital. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#m3)

4) To scrub something (informal) means to cancel it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#m4)

5) A scrub is a quick wash in water. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#m5)

### sense in the lessons

Everyday life and hygiene: scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap to wash off germs; scrub muddy knees, pots and floors. In geography and science, scrub (or scrubland, the Australian «bush» or «mallee scrub») is a habitat in dry places. Phrases: scrub your hands, scrub the floor, scrub brush, scrub up, scrubland.

### examples

- Scrub your hands with soap for twenty seconds. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x1)
- Dad scrubbed the burnt pan until it shone. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x2)
- I scrubbed the mud off my football boots. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x3)
- The path went through dry scrub full of lizards. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x4)
- Doctors scrub up before an operation. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x5)
- The nurse was wearing blue scrubs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x6)
- Give the potatoes a good scrub before cooking. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x7)
- Rain made them scrub the school trip. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x8)
- "My Father!" says the Prince; "let an old fellow of ours have a scrub first, just to try the bath-room." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/#x9)

### note

Double b before -ed and -ing: scrubbed, scrubbing. «Scrub» (land) is uncountable. Scrubbing too hard can hurt skin; scrub well but gently. «Scrub up» means wash thoroughly, especially a surgeon's hands and arms.

### In the corpora

- [Teeth are brushed gently in small circles with a soft brush, because hard scrubbing hurts the gums and wears the teeth.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/73-brushing-your-teeth/9/)
- [Nails are kept short and clean, and dirt is scrubbed from under them, because germs collect there.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/77-hair-nails-and-ears/7/)
- [Nails are kept short and clean, with dirt scrubbed out from under them, because germs collect there.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/208-teeth-nails-baths-and-toilets/12/)
- [On Friday Finn told the teacher it was him, said sorry to Rory and scrubbed the wall clean himself.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/345-when-someone-else-takes-your-punishment/4/)
- [Cleaning machines do the boring jobs people once did by hand: scrubbing clothes, wringing them out, beating carpets and pressing creases.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/technology/12-washing-drying-vacuuming-ironing/0/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «scrub» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/scrub/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.