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
Make sure to protect tender young trees and shrubs with tree tubes or wire cages. — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 28 Oct. 2026 The park is also home to several species of butterflies and beautiful gardens anchored by 2,000 examples of trees and shrubs, many of them native to Argentina. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2026 To prevent them from hiding in your hard, get rid of piles of leaves, twigs, and other debris, and trim overgrown vegetation, grass, and dense shrubs. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2026 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 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 1 Nov. 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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