scrub

Scrub is a term with multiple related meanings in cleaning, medicine, ecology, and everyday language. As a verb, scrub most commonly means to clean something by rubbing it with an abrasive material or detergent, or to rub hard to remove dirt. It can also mean to cancel or postpone a planned activity or event; for example, a launch may be scrubbed when conditions are unsuitable.

As a noun, scrub can refer to the act of scrubbing, or to a plant community characterized by shrubs and low-growing woody vegetation, commonly called scrubland. Scrubland typically appears in dry or Mediterranean climates and supports a range of adapted flora and fauna.

In medicine, scrub has a specialized use. To scrub in means to perform a thorough hand and forearm washing routine to achieve a sterile condition before surgery. A scrub nurse or scrub technologist assists by maintaining the sterile field, and the term scrubs also refers to the hospital garments worn by operating room staff.

In everyday speech, scrubs or scrub suits denote the clothing worn in medical settings. The word’s core sense—preparing, cleaning, or clearing away material—pervades its various uses in cleaning tasks, planning, and professional practice.