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

Wear boots when hiking and heavy gloves when working in the garden and reaching under shrubs or rock piles, says Mengak. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 Apr. 2026

Coyote brush is a popular native evergreen shrub that grows to 7 feet tall and supports bees, butterflies, caterpillars and bats. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026

What are some lower-growing shrubs that were not damaged by the February freeze? —Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026

Along with the daffodil patch, Shickasheen also has a gift shop, a tool shed and a garden center with annuals, perennials, shrubs and bushes available for purchase. —Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 11 Apr. 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