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scrub
1[ skruhb ]
verb (used with object)
- 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 plansāthere'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 computerās 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: 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)
- 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: nursing scrubs.
surgical scrubs;
nursing scrubs.
verb phrase
- to cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery.
scrub
2[ skruhb ]
noun
- low trees or shrubs collectively.
- a large area covered with low trees and shrubs, as the Australian bush.
- a domestic animal of mixed or inferior breeding; mongrel.
- a small or insignificant person.
- anything undersized or inferior.
- Sports. a player not belonging to the varsity or regular team; a player who is not first-string.
adjective
- small, undersized, or stunted.
- inferior or insignificant.
- abounding in or covered with low trees and shrubs:
They rode through scrub country.
scrub
1/ ²õ°ģ°łŹ²ś /
verb
- 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
- intrfoll byup (of a surgeon) to wash the hands and arms thoroughly before operating
- tr to purify (a vapour or gas) by removing impurities
- informal.tr to delete or cancel
- 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
- the act of or an instance of scrubbing
scrub
2/ ²õ°ģ°łŹ²ś /
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 a player not in the first team
- the scrub informal.a remote place, esp one where contact with people can be avoided
adjective
- small, stunted, or inferior
- sport
- (of a player) not in the first team
- (of a team) composed of such players
- (of a contest) between scratch or incomplete teams
Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms
- ²õ³¦°ł³Ü²śīb²¹Ā·²ś±ō±š adjective
- nonĀ·²õ³¦°ł³Ü²śīb²¹Ā·²ś±ō±š adjective
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of scrub1
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of scrub1
Origin of scrub2
Example Sentences
In one dramatic example, MGM in 2011 digitally scrubbed a remake of the movie āRed Dawnā to delete all traces of Chinese villains.
Since then, many colleges and universities in California and throughout the country have eliminated diversity efforts, typically referred to as DEI, scrubbing references from their websites.
But unlike most, the 27-year-old mum-of-three is watched by thousands online as she scrubs, dusts and declutters her home, as part of a popular social media trend known as a "reset".
If contact is suspected, trail restorer Blaker recommends treating it like poison oak and scrubbing the affected skin with a degreaser.
In the wake of the February letter, colleges and universities in California and throughout the country have eliminated DEI programs, scrubbing references to it from their websites.
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Related 51³Ō¹Ļs
About This 51³Ō¹Ļ
What else does scrub mean?
Scrub is slang for someone who is just plain bad at somethingāa no-talent hack. This could be in sports, video games, or thanks to TLCās hit song, relationships.
Where does scrub come from?
Scrub has been slang for an āinsignificant or contemptible personā 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 āNo Scrubs,ā TLC bops: āNo, I donāt want no scrubs / A scrub is a guy that canāt get no love from me / Hanginā out the passenger side of his best friendās ride / Trying to holla at me.ā
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 arenāt exempt from the ālowlifeā insult.
More examples of scrub:
ā[Tristan] Thompson has never been an elite player, but ever since he started dated Khloe, his performances have really gone downhill. Heās not the great offensive rebounder he once was, and is looking more and more like an overpaid scrub.ā
āNemanja 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 termās history, meaning, and usage.
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