scrub

Where does the word "scrub" come from? It comes from Scandinavian skrubba, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

Scrub’s story begins in Scandinavian: skrubba meant “to scrub.” Probably from a Scandinavian source, like Danish 'skrubbe'; Middle Dutch 'schrobben' is a cousin. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as scrobben. First used for rubbing down horses. It reached English by 1500s as scrub. 'to scrub' a plan, cancel it, is 1940s air-force slang. Today, scrub means to rub hard to clean.

1. Stage 1 · Scandinavian · medieval skrubba "to scrub", probably from a Scandinavian source, like Danish 'skrubbe'; Middle Dutch 'schrobben' is a cousin.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1300s scrobben "to rub hard", first used for rubbing down horses.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s scrub "to rub clean", 'to scrub' a plan, cancel it, is 1940s air-force slang.