scrub
Pronunciation: (skrub), [key] — v., n. scrubbed, scrub•bing,
—v.t. - to rub hard with a brush, cloth, etc., or against a rough surface in washing.
- to subject to friction; rub.
- to remove (dirt, grime, etc.) from something by hard rubbing while washing.
- to remove (impurities or undesirable components) from a gas by chemical means, as sulfur dioxide from smokestack gas or carbon dioxide from exhaled air in life-support packs.
- to cancel or postpone (a space flight or part of a mission): Ground control scrubbed the spacewalk.
- to do away with; cancel: Scrub your vacation plans--there's work to do!
—v.i. - to cleanse something by hard rubbing.
- to cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery (often fol. by up).
—n. - an act or instance of scrubbing.
- a canceled or postponed space flight, launching, scheduled part of a space mission, etc.
- something, as a cosmetic preparation, used for scrubbing.
scrub
Pronunciation: (skrub), [key] — n.
- low trees or shrubs collectively.
- a large area covered with low trees and shrubs, as the Australian bush.
- a domestic animal of mixed or inferior breeding; mongrel.
- a small or insignificant person.
- anything undersized or inferior.
- a player not belonging to the varsity or regular team; a player who is not first-string.
—adj. - small, undersized, or stunted.
- inferior or insignificant.
- abounding in or covered with low trees and shrubs: They rode through scrub country.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.