Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Low German
Origin: or a Scandinavian language

scrub

1 verb
     
NEW! See related topics: CLEANING
scrub1 past tense and past participle scrubbed, present participle scrubbing
1 [intransitive and transitive]DHC to rub something hard, especially with a stiff brush, in order to clean it:
She was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor.
He scrubbed the dirt off his boots.
The table needs to be scrubbed clean.
scrub at
She scrubbed at her face with a tissue.
➔ clean
2 [transitive] informal to decide not to do something that you had planned [= cancel]:
We scrubbed the idea in the end.

scrub something ↔ out

phrasal verb
DHC to clean the inside of a place thoroughly:
The rooms are all scrubbed out once a week.

scrub up

phrasal verb
MH to wash your hands and arms before doing a medical operation
WORD FOCUS: clean WORD FOCUS: clean
wash with soap and water
wipe with a damp cloth
brush with a brush to remove the dirt
polish by rubbing with a cloth
scrub by rubbing hard
sweep with a broom
mop with water and a mop (a tool with a long handle)
vacuum also hoover British English with a machine that sucks up dust
disinfect using chemicals to kill germs
cleanse to clean your skin using a special cream
rinse to put water on to remove dirt or soap
dust to remove dust, for example with a cloth

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