English Explanatory Dictionary

grub

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An insect, especially a beetle, at an immature stage of its life cycle.
  2. Food.
  3. A dirty person.
  4. A despicable person; a lowlife.
  5. A short, thick man; a dwarf.
verb
  1. To scavenge or in some way scrounge, typically for food.
  2. To dig; to dig up by the roots; to root out by digging; often followed by up.
  3. To supply with food.
  4. To eat.

Pronunciation

/ɡɹʌb/ EN-AU ck1 grub.ogg En-us-grub.ogg /ɡɹʊb/

Word forms

grub grubs grob grubbing grubbed

Etymology

From Middle English grubben, grobben, from Old English *grubbian, from Proto-West Germanic *grubb-, from Proto-Germanic *grubb- (compare Middle Dutch grobben (“to scrape, scramble, grab”), Old High German grubilōn (“to dig, search”), German grübeln (“to meditate, ponder”)), from Proto-Germanic *grub- (“to dig”) (see *grabaną). The noun sense of "larva" is from Middle English grub, grubbe, grobbe, crubbe and may derive from the notion of "digging insect" from the verb above, or from the uncertainly related Middle English grub (“dwarfish fellow”). Compare West Frisian krobbe (“beetle”). The slang sense of "food" is first recorded 1659, and has been linked with birds eating grubs or with bub (“drink”).

Synonyms

larva aliment bait belly-timber chow comestibles cuisine eatables eats edibles feed fodder foodstuffs food grub kai meals meat munchable nibbles nosebag nosh nourishment om nom nom provender provisions rations scran stodge sustenance tiffin tucker tuck viands victuals vittles

Related words

caterpillar maggot worm grade-grub grave groove

Derived words

bardee grub bardi grub bardy grub canegrub cattle grub curl grub grass grub grub and bub grubber grubbery grubble grubby grub hoe grubhouse grubless grublike grubling grub out grub-saw grub screw grubstake grub-stake grub up grubwork grubworm pub grub Tasmanian grass grub witchety grub grub along
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