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

Get Pruning As Carvalho points out, now is also an excellent time to assess your trees and shrubs and get them back into shape. —Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 8 Feb. 2026

There are several trees and shrubs that flower in spring that will work for forcing inside in late winter. —Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026

Part of the Kordes Sunbelt heat-tolerant series, this shrub rose is compact and disease resistant. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026

However, making your cuts at the wrong time can sacrifice this shrub's beautiful flowers. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 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