shrub

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈshrəb How to pronounce shrub (audio)
especially Southern ˈsrəb
: a low usually several-stemmed woody plant
shrub-like adjective
or shrublike
ˈshrəb-ˌlīk How to pronounce shrub (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In all, there will be 52 different types of shrubs and trees planted by Field Operations, the landscape design team that worked with Oudolf on the rest of the High Line. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 23 Oct. 2026 Chiricahua is a combination of climates The new national park features varying environments, from a desert landscape and grasslands to deciduous forest and chaparral shrub land to coniferous forest habitats. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 Pruning Obsession™ Nandina Obsession™ Nandina is an incredibly low-maintenance shrub. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2026 Along with planting native trees, shrubs, and flowers to establish a winter food source, Belike also recommends stacking brush into a pile that can become a cold-weather habitat. — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shrub

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrub was before the 12th century

Rhymes for shrub

See All Rhymes for shrub

Browse Nearby Words

Shrove Tuesday
shrub
shrubbed
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Cite this Entry

“Shrub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrub. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shrub

noun
ˈshrəb
: a woody plant that has several stems and is smaller than most trees

More from Merriam-Webster on shrub

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shrub

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