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grub Definition

grub (grub)

intransitive verb grubbed, grub′·bing

  1. to dig in the ground
  2. to work hard, esp. at something menial or tedious; drudge
  3. to search about; rummage

  4. Etymology: < grub

    Slang to eat

Etymology: ME grubben, to dig, prob. < OE *grybban (akin to OHG grubilōn, to bore into): for IE base see grave

transitive verb

  1. to clear (ground) of roots and stumps by digging them up
  2. to dig up by or as by the roots; root out; uproot

noun

  1. the short, fat, wormlike larva of certain insects, esp. of a beetle
  2. a person who works hard at some menial or tedious work; drudge

  3. Etymology: < ? notion “what is grubbed for”

    Slang food

Etymology: ME grubbe, prob. < the v.

grub Related Forms
grub′·ber noun
grub Synonyms

grub

n.

  1. A larva

    entozoon, caterpillar, maggot; see worm 1.

  2. *Food

    victuals, comestibles, eats*, chow*; see food.

grub Synonyms

grub

v.

  1. To dig

    delve, burrow, excavate; see dig 1.

  2. To clear land

    uproot stumps, prepare for the plow, break; see clean.

  3. *To work laboriously

    moil, toil, drudge; see work 1.

grub Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • eat: His passion is to get people gardening and eating good grub.
  • serve: Mama Africa on Long street serves some good local grub.

Adjective modifier

  • hearty: Some participating pubs will be offering good hearty classic pub grub with some special dishes cooked in ale!
  • delicious: My only advice is don't eat too much of the delicious grub they serve for lunch!
  • decent: No longer is France inexpensive, today the Euro buys little decent grub for your money.
  • traditional: The Shed serves traditional pub grub in an easy, relaxing atmosphere.
  • British: French food will have to battle it out with British grub and there will be a tug o war.
  • white: The appearance of King Edward continued the image of insects: he was a bloated, white grub, virtually immovable in his throne.

Modifies a noun

  • screw: A threaded grub screw in the shank end allows for correct setting for a bank of drills.
  • adjustment: With threaded standard square bar and grub screw adjustment system to fit a standard latch or lock.
  • menu: When I finished the installation I did grub-install /dev/sda, having added the necessary lines to the grub menu to boot Windows.

Modifying Another Word

  • about: These environmental interests all remain more popular than grubbing about in the countryside for economically insignificant wild species.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: They desired to grub around in the dirt like the common herd!
  • up: Where hedges had to be grubbed up, we made sure no birds were nesting there.

Noun used with modifier

  • chafer: A new product for the control of chafer grubs is due to be launched in the UK during April.
  • witchetty: This consisted of animal meat and offal, honey, insects such as witchetty grubs, some marine life plus seasonal vegetation.
  • weevil: The nematode enters the bodies of vine weevil grubs, infecting them with a fatal bacterial disease from its gut.
  • pub: From pub grub to fine dining, cream teas to a la carte.
  • vine: The nematode enters the bodies of vine weevil grubs, infecting them with a fatal bacterial disease from its gut.
  • wasp: I got talking to a guy who fishes wasp grubs.
grub Quotes

God have mercy on the sinner Who must write with no dinner, No gravy and no grub, No pewter and no pub, No bellyand no bowels, Only consonants and vowels.

—Ransom,John Crowe

You can always tell an old soldier by the inside of his holsters and cartridge boxes. The young ones carry pistols and cartridges; the old ones, grub.

—Shaw, George Bernard

In an English ship, they say, it is poor grub, poor pay, and easy work; in an American ship, good grub, good pay, and hard work. And this is applicable to the working populations of both countries.

—Lombardi,Vince(ntThomas)

I am perfectly aware that the mosquito and sandfly have a purpose in this world, but why don't they attend to it? Their destiny is to keep down microscopic insects†but their sphere of useiswhentheyareinthegrub state.Why don't they stick at that and not trouble innocent unoffending prospectors who can't carry a curtain?

—Douglas, Charles

Browse dictionary entries near grub

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  2. ‹ Grozny
  3. ‹ growth stock
  4. ‹ growth investing
  5. ‹ growth hormone
  6. ‹ growth factor
  7. ‹ growth company
  8. ‹ growth
  9. ‹ grown-up
  10. ‹ grown
  1. grubby ›
  2. Grubman, Jack ›
  3. grubstake ›
  4. Grubstreet ›
  5. grudge ›
  6. grue ›
  7. gruel ›
  8. grueling ›
  9. gruesome ›
  10. gruff ›