shrub

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈshrəb 

 especially Southern  ˈsrəb

: a low usually several-stemmed woody plant

shrub-like adjective

or shrublike

ˈshrəb-ˌlīk 

 especially Southern  ˈsrəb-

shrub-like plants

shrub

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: an aged blend of fruit juice, sugar, and spirits served chilled and diluted with water

2

: a beverage made by adding acidulated fruit juice to iced water

Examples of shrub in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Back in 1979, a U.S. Department of Agriculture technical report recommended practices such as reducing stand density, converting cover types, creating openings in forest cover and establishing trees or large shrubs in windswept, treeless areas to concentrate snow and reduce evaporation. —Tom Howarth follow, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

Many commonly butchered shrubs and trees bloom in spring. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024

The trail is a simple, easy trip around the water, ducking in and out of pines and over the dams where blooming shrubs attract swarms of butterflies, bees and dragonflies. —Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024

All sorts of pines, shrubs and so much more in a region usually thought of as arid. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English schrobbe, from Old English scrybb brushwood; akin to Norwegian skrubbebær, a cornel of a dwarf species

Noun (2)

Arabic sharāb beverage

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1706, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shrub

noun

ˈshrəb

: a woody plant that has several stems and is smaller than most trees