scrub

v., scrubbed, scrub·bing, scrubs.

v.tr.

1. 1. To rub hard in order to clean.
   2. To remove (dirt or stains) by hard rubbing.
2. To remove impurities from (a gas) chemically.
3. Slang. To cancel or abandon; drop: We had to scrub our plans for vacation.

v.intr.

To clean or wash something by hard rubbing: Don't forget to scrub behind your ears.

n.

1. The act or an instance of scrubbing.
2. pl. scrubs. The articles of clothing that make up a scrub suit.

phrasal verb:

scrub up

1. To wash the hands and arms thoroughly, as before performing or participating in surgery.

[Middle English scrobben, to currycomb a horse, from Middle Dutch schrobben, to clean by rubbing, scrape.]

scrubbable scrub'ba·ble adj.
scrub² (skrŭb)
n.

1. A straggly, stunted tree or shrub.
2. A growth or tract of stunted vegetation.
3. An undersized or poorly developed domestic animal.
4. An undersized or insignificant person.
5. Sports. A player not on the varsity or first team.
6. Australian. Remote rural land; the bush.

[Middle English, variant of schrubbe. See shrub¹.]

The less-known usage of the word "scrub" made headlines when the launch of the Discovery space shuttle was aborted due to a faulty fuel gauge, as in the following headline:

NASA scrubs shuttle launch.

Posted July 14, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

The term has various meanings depending on context, but typically deals with erasing or cleaning up data. See data scrubbing, memory scrubbing and audio scrubbing.

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verb

1. To rub hard in order to clean: scour¹. See clean/dirty, put on/take off.
2. To remove (an outer layer or adherent matter) by rubbing a surface with considerable pressure: scour¹, scrape. See put on/take off.
3. To decide not to go ahead with (something previously arranged): call off, cancel. Slang scratch. See continue/stop/pause.

v

Definition: cancel
Antonyms: keep, organize, restore, schedule, set up

v

Definition: clean with force
Antonyms: dirty

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1. low trees and bushes. Called also browse. Edible enough for livestock to graze them especially when more conventional feed is short. Lopping of this material for feeding is a husbandry practice in some arid zones. Lends itself to indigestion in ruminants because of its indigestibility, especially if it is the main article of diet.
2. to cleanse by vigorous scrubbing with a brush. See also surgical scrub (below).

• s. animal — one from grade parents, non-descript and not showing the predominant characteristics of any breed. Generally applied to agricultural animals.
• s. ironbark — bridelia exalta, B. leichhardtii.
• s.-itch mite — see acomatacarus, trombicula minor.
• s. kurrajong — pimelea microcephala, P. pauciflora.
• s.-up — see scrub (2).
• s. suit — the outer, protective clothing worn by operating room personnel. Usually specially prepared within the hospital's sterilizing facility to minimize contamination in the surgical suite.
• surgical s. — the ritualistic presurgical preparation of hands and arms by surgeons and their assistants. Includes thorough, vigorous and systematic cleaning with a brush of all skin surfaces. Persons prepared in this manner are then considered ‘scrubbed-up’, ready to take part in the surgical procedure, and are not allowed to touch any nonsterile surfaces.
• s. tick — see ixodes holocyclus.
• s. typhus — a disease of humans transmitted by Trombicula akamushi and resident in rodents which serve as reservoirs. Called also Japanese river fever, tsutsugamushi disease.

A growth of scraggly stunted trees and shrubs, usually associated with extreme climatic conditions and very shallow soil.

IN BRIEF: To clean something by rubbing hard.

If you don't scrub the floor, your shoes will stick to it.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. tr. - skrubbe, skure, rense, vaske
v. intr. - skrubbe
n. - skrubben, en omgang med skurebørsten

2.
n. - krat, forkrøblet træ, kratbevoksning

Nederlands (Dutch)
boenen, schrobben, armetierige begroeiing, struik(gewas), scharminkel, dwergsoort, tweede team, bastaard

Français (French)
1.
v. tr. - récurer, frotter, nettoyer, briquer
v. intr. - (Méd) se stériliser les mains (avant une opération)
n. - nettoyage, (Cosmét) gommage

idioms:

• scrub round    ignorer, éviter
• scrub up    se stériliser les mains (avant une opération)

2.
n. - (Bot) broussailles

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - schrubben, reinigen, (ugs.) streichen
n. - Schrubben, (ugs.) Ersatzmann(schaft)

idioms:

• scrub round    löschen
• scrub up    (Med) sich (Dat) die Hände [und Unterarme] desinfizieren

2.
n. - Gebüsch, Gesträuch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - θαμνότοπος, τρίψιμο, φασίνα, (ιατρ.) πλύσιμο χεριών, ακίνδυνος αντίπαλος
v. - τρίβω, σφουγγαρίζω, (καθομ.) ξεγράφω, ακυρώνω, ματαιώνω
adj. - δεύτερης διαλογής

Italiano (Italian)
lustrare, sottobosco, macchia, steppa, bastardo, di razza piccola, di riserva

Português (Portuguese)
n. - caatinga (f), vassoura já gasta (f), limpeza (f)
v. - escovar
adj. - raquítico, enfezado, mirrado

Русский (Russian)
кустарник, щеточка, чахлое или карликовое растение, ублюдок, кляча, чистка, жесткая щетка, поденщик, щетина, ничтожный человек, низкорослый, ничтожный, покрытый щетиной, неслаженный, чистить, тереть, скрести, выполнять грязную работу

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. tr. - fregar
v. intr. - limpiar algo fregando, lavarse las manos (antes de una operación quirúrgica)
n. - aborto, árbol achaparrado, jugador suplente

idioms:

• scrub round    no prestar atención, evitar
• scrub up    acto de lavar o bañar minuciosamente (doctores o nurses, antes de una operación)

2.
n. - matorral, maleza, monte bajo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - skurning, skrubbning, scrubkräm, peeling, busksnår, buskskog, förkrympt buske, knatte, plutt, reservspelare
v. - skura, skrubba, radera (data)
adj. - oansenlig, obetydlig, förkrympt, dvärg-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 用力擦洗, 摩擦, 擦掉, 擦洗干净, 进行手臂消毒, 擦洗, 擦净

2. 矮树丛, 灌木丛, 不中用的人, 矮小的人物, 二流选手

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. tr. - 用力擦洗, 摩擦, 擦掉
v. intr. - 擦洗乾淨, 進行手臂消毒
n. - 擦洗, 擦淨

2.
n. - 矮樹叢, 灌木叢, 不中用的人, 矮小的人物, 二流選手

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. tr. - 비벼 빨다, (컴퓨터) 파일을 깨끗이 하다, (명령 등을) 취소하다
v. intr. - 문질러서 깨끗이 하다, (의사가) 수술 전에 손을 씻다, (기수가) 채찍을 앞뒤로 흔들어 말을 다그치다
n. - 북북 문질러 닦기, (우주) 스크럽 (미사일 발사의 중지), 취소

2.
n. - 관목, 후보, (가축 등의) 잡종

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ごしごしこする, こすり落とす, 取り消す
n. - ごしごしこすること, 低木のやぶ, 小柄な人, くだらない人, 2軍選手

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حيوان هجين, شجرة خفيضه (فعل) يحك, يفرك, ينظف (صفه) منطقه مليئه باشجار من النوع الرديء‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮שפשף, ניקה, שטף, ביטל‬
v. intr. - ‮היה במצב גופני ירוד‬
n. - ‮שפשוף, שטיפה‬
n. - ‮בתה, צמחייה נמוכה, ננסי (עץ)‬

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scrub	Phisoderm Facial Scrub
Body Scrub	Gentle Cream Exfoliant Dermalogica Prep Scrub