Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: GRUB1; because places full of grubs are dirty

grubby

 adjective
     
grub‧by
1 fairly dirty:
a grubby handkerchief
a gang of grubby kids
2 grubby behaviour or activity is morally unpleasant:
the grubby details of his financial dealings
3

grubby hands/paws/mitts

informal used to talk about someone touching something or becoming involved in it when you do not want them to:
Keep your grubby paws to yourself!
I bet he can't wait to get his grubby hands on my money!
—grubbiness noun [uncountable]
WORD FOCUS: dirty WORD FOCUS: dirty
similar words: filthy, grubby, grimy, mucky British English, muddy, greasy, dusty, soiled, contaminated, polluted

➔ See also dirty
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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