scrubbed

1 of 2

adjective (1)

archaic

scrubbed

2 of 2

adjective (2)

: giving the impression of being clean or wholesome as if from scrubbing
days when studios manufactured scrubbed public images for their starsSally Helgesen

Examples of scrubbed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There were no young girls floating by in elegant dresses, no scrubbed and spoiled children dressed in their finery and dragged toward churches and pagodas, no whisper of music drifting out of windows. Chantha Nguon, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024 The New England town of Fairwood is a seemingly scrubbed, pleasant, prosperous hamlet. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 Jan. 2024 Scrubs, which take their name from the fact they are worn in a scrubbed environment, according to a history of operating room attire from the American College of Surgeons, were first mentioned by a surgeon in 1894. New York Times, 9 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scrubbed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

scrub entry 1

Adjective (2)

from past participle of scrub entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1596, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scrubbed was in 1596

Dictionary Entries Near scrubbed

Cite this Entry

“Scrubbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrubbed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!