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

The small green shrubs growing around Rock Corral Canyon produce a fiery red fruit with a spicy kick. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026

Warm temperatures and rain have kick-started the growth of many of our wonderful flowering trees and shrubs. —Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026

Volunteers will place trees and shrubs in holes that have already been dug, backfill and tamp down soil, then add water and mulch, according to a press release from the Kane County Forest Preserve District. —Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

Prepare your home and property Water lawns, shrubs and trees if possible. —Brandi D. Addison, Des Moines Register, 26 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