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

Broad-leaved and needled evergreen shrubs are the workhorses of winter, providing enduring structure and color. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025

February • Implement disease and insect control for apple, pear, stone fruits, nut trees, and deciduous landscape trees and shrubs such as roses. —The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2025

The Arabica is a shrub that can grow up to 15 feet tall and is grown in countries with higher altitudes and cooler temps, such as Brazil, Ethiopia, and Kenya. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2025

Highly flammable tamarisk shrubs have taken root in thick stands near streams in the western US, and eucalyptus — one of the primary invasive trees blamed for worsening Chile’s recent wildfires as well as fires in Portugal — increases wildfire risk in California. —Kylie Mohr, Vox, 8 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