shrub

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈshrəb How to pronounce shrub (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsrəb
: a low usually several-stemmed woody plant
shrub-like adjective
or shrublike
ˈshrəb-ˌlīk How to pronounce shrub (audio)
 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This is especially advantageous for deciduous trees and shrubs, which divert energy away from foliage to concentrate on underground growth. Tammy Sons, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Take ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub indigenous to tropical areas in Asia and Africa. Jessie Van Amburg, SELF, 29 Oct. 2024 Forsythia The bright yellow forsythia shrub should be trimmed back in the spring after the blooms fade. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024 Other magnolia shrubs include the sweetbay magnolia and the little gem magnolia. Nina Malkin, Architectural Digest, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shrub 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrub was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shrub

Cite this Entry

“Shrub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrub. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

shrub

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

More from Merriam-Webster on shrub

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