Grub

English

Noun

Grub (countable and uncountable; plural Grubs)

1. (countable) An immature stage in the life cycle of an insect; a larva.
2. (uncountable, slang) Food.
3. (UK) Dirt.

Synonyms

• (immature insect): larva
• (slang: food): nosh, tucker

Derived terms

• grubby
• witchetty grub

Related terms

• caterpillar
• maggot
• worm

Verb

Grub (third-person singular simple present Grubs, present participle grubbing, simple past and past participle grubbed)

1. To scavenge or in some way scrounge, typically for food.

Thesaurus

accumulate, amass, assemble, aurelia, beast of burden, beat, bore, bring together, burrow, caterpillar, chow, chrysalis, chuck, cocoon, collect, comb, cull, delve, dig, dig out, dig up, dike, dredge, drill, drive, drudge, eats, edibles, excavate, fag, feed, forage, furrow, galley slave, gather, gather in, get in, get together, glean, gouge, gouge out, greasy grind, grind, groove, grub up, grubber, grubbery, hack, hammer, hammer away, hireling, larva, lower, maggot, mercenary, mine, moil, muck, nurture, nymph, nympha, peg, peg away, pick, pick up, plod, plodder, pluck, plug, plug along, plug away, poke, pound away, provender, provisions, pupa, quarry, rake, rake up, ransack, root, round up, rummage, sap, scare up, scoop, scoop out, scrabble, scrape, scrape together, scrape up, scratch, search, shovel, sink, slave, slavey, slog, slogger, spade, swot, take up, toil, travail, trench, trough, tunnel, viands, victuals, wade through, wiggler, work away, workhorse, wriggler

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡɹʌb/

• Audio (US)

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  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌb