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

Florida is vulnerable to blazes because of its lush tropical shrubs and forests. —Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Feb. 2025

While flower beds and shrubs can be a bit more forgiving, container gardening takes a little more attention. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 29 Jan. 2025

Forests have become tinderboxes overgrown with trees, shrubs, and other fuels due to lack of maintenance and decades of fire suppression—to the point where 80 million acres are in need of restoration. —Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025

Ashwagandha is a shrub that grows throughout South Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. —Emily Orofino, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2025

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