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
Spongy Moth Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) is a wide-ranging pest that feeds on over 300 species of trees and shrubs, endangering our forests. Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Mar. 2025 Black chokeberry is considered a prairie shrub and native to the sandy soils of northeastern Illinois, but it’s become too much of a good thing at the Gensburg-Markham Prairie, according to event organizers. Susan Degrane, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2025 Washes become specific plant ecosystems, sometimes filling with bright wildflowers or nurturing trees and shrubs along their perimeters. Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025 Trees and shrubs in this zone should be limited to a few, small clusters. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shrub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrub. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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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