grub

1 of 2

verb

grubbed; grubbing

transitive verb

1
: to clear by digging up roots and stumps
2
: to dig up by or as if by the roots

intransitive verb

1
a
: to dig in the ground especially for something that is difficult to find or extract
b
: to search about
grubbed in the countryside for foodLamp
2
: toil, drudge
grubbing along at newspaper jobsWalter Kirn
grubber noun

grub

2 of 2

noun

1
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (such as a beetle)
2
a
: one who does menial work : drudge
b
: a slovenly person
3
: food

Examples of grub in a Sentence

Verb Everyone was grubbing for whatever food they could find. students grubbing for better grades Noun Let's go get some grub. after the game, we headed to the diner for some hearty grub
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
His bill is small, yet strong—perfect for grubbing about underwater for aquatic bugs, worms, snails, crayfish, and small mollusks. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023 Politics McCarthy’s vow to open Biden impeachment probe puts vulnerable California Republicans in a tough spot Sept. 12, 2023 His son Hunter, the subject of a special counsel investigation, may have shamelessly grubbed for money by trading on the family name. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Money-grubbing developers don’t care about residents. Mark Bisnow, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2023 No henchmen of adversarial intelligence services or money-grubbing fraudsters are going to abide by such a magnanimous international accord—even if governments or corporations pay it lip service. Robert Hackett, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2020 In its prickliness and insistence on the messiness and ineluctable pain of life, this is very different from the pandering, gold-grubbing titles that tend to hit theaters starting around now. Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 Sep. 2019 Get our daily newsletter China’s freewheeling internet users hand plenty of precious information over to the country’s data-grubbing apps. The Economist, 7 Sep. 2019 Sonny’s Everyman tale revives the hope that cinema might still be a popular art form, even as the movie year heads into its ugliest, platitudinous, awards-grubbing phase. Armond White, National Review, 6 Sep. 2019 Enter Maximus Worthington, a money-grubbing real estate tycoon danced by CTT artistic director and lead choreographer Mark Yonally, who promises big profits for DRC by using a trickle-down model. Lauren Warnecke, chicagotribune.com, 9 June 2019
Noun
In brown or rusty orange, a curly-tail grub becomes a crayfish when slowly hopped across the bottom. Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 7 Mar. 2024 Attractions: Granbury City Beach Park, Lake Granbury water activities, historic Granbury Square Places for grub: Mi Familia Mexican restaurant offers affordable Mexican cuisine. Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Feb. 2024 During most of the year, these omnivorous wasps will look for prey in the form of other insects, especially caterpillars, grubs, and flies. Dan Nosowitz, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Jan. 2024 The grub has almost no action, and the spinner is nothing unique. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 There are plenty of events this weekend to ride out the weather roller coaster, including getting your grub (and deal) on at Dine L.A. Restaurant Week, singing along to Inglewood pop princesa Becky G at the Novo or taking part in the Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations across the city. Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023 The eating scene ranges from pub grub at the Jasper Brewing Company and yummy sandwiches and hot pot pies at Patricia Street Deli to the lakeside Orso Trattoria and Andaaz for Indian cuisine. Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 The lofty space is massive, with plenty of room for groups, and the food menu includes elevated international pub grub. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2024 Thread on your favorite curly-tail grub to increase vibration and action. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grub.' 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

Verb

Middle English grubben; akin to Old English grafan to dig — more at grave

Noun

Middle English grubbe, from grubben

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grub was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near grub

Cite this Entry

“Grub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grub. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grub

1 of 2 verb
grubbed; grubbing
1
: to clear or root out by digging
grub up roots
grub for potatoes
2
: to work hard : drudge
grubber noun

grub

2 of 2 noun
1
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect (as a beetle)
2
b
: an untidy or dirty person
3

Medical Definition

grub

noun
: a soft thick wormlike larva of an insect

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