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

Trees, shrubs and hardy perennials, however, can generally withstand the cold. — Wcco Staff, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Plant the shrub in a spot that isn’t exposed to wintery winds and mulch it well. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2026

Here are some perennials, shrubs and trees that will turn your outdoor space into a self-sustaining buffet for feathery friends. — Karen Hugg, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026

This is common for fruit trees, strawberries, shrubs, and some perennial ornamental plants like roses. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 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