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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Countless publications and companies, whether The Washington Post or Toast, have created tipping guides to help consumers wade through this morass of money grubbing. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 26 June 2024 So much of the story takes place firmly in and on the ground, whether its characters are grubbing around the countryside or descending six feet under. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2024
Noun
There was a spot out beyond my boat dock, no more than a city block offshore, where a goldenrod grub or a corn borer lowered through a hole in the ice into the dark water at the end of a nylon line was as sure to get results as a saucer of cream set in front of a hungry cat. Wilson H. Stover, Outdoor Life, 5 Dec. 2024 And for grabbing some grub on the cook’s day off, downtown East Hampton’s Citarella Gourmet Market, and the perennially popular eatery Nick & Toni’s are only a bit more than three miles away. Mark David, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grub 

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 12 Dec. 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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