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

Protecting trees, shrubs, flowers and produce from drought means paying careful attention to watering routines and shielding as much water as possible from evaporation, experts say. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

Privacy screens are an underutilized aspect of shrubs. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 15 Mar. 2026

So grab your pruners and cut with confidence, knowing that these 7 shrubs thrive when trimmed early in the season. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2026

They can also be used as a light mulch of less than an inch in vegetable gardens or a 1- to 2-inch mulch around established trees and shrubs. —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for shrub

• bub
• club
• cub
• dub
• grub
• hub
• nub
• pub
• rub
• scrub
• snub
• stub

Kids Definition

shrub

noun

ˈshrəb

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