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

Overgrown Bushes Many of us plant small shrubs that eventually overgrow their boundaries. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026

Some shrubs, such as red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) have red or yellow bark. —Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026

Trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers can be planted anytime. —Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026

The graceful shrub has a compact habit, so scales well with perennials. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 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