shrub
/ʃrʌb/ (bre, ipa) · /ʃrʌb/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈshrəb especially Southern ˈsrəb/ (ame, mw)
shrub — noun
- shrubsingular
- shrubsplural
1. a woody garden plant that is shorter than a tree, with many branches spreading o
a woody garden plant that is shorter than a tree, with many branches spreading out from near the ground rather than from one trunk.
Élise planted six rose shrubs along the stone wall behind her cottage.
countable: planted [number] [type] shrubs
The botanic garden in Kyoto labels every shrub with its scientific name.
Tanvi trimmed the lavender shrubs in her grandmother's herb garden.
A small bird had built its nest deep inside the thorny shrub by the gate.
Lucía cleared the dead shrubs from the front yard before spring planting.
文法句型
a shrub of [type]
[type] shrubs
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2 and sense 3 (both drinks): only this plant sense takes typical garden-verb collocations like 'plant', 'prune', 'trim'.
常見錯誤
2. an old-fashioned alcoholic drink made by stirring fruit juice and sugar into rum
an old-fashioned alcoholic drink made by stirring fruit juice and sugar into rum or brandy and serving it cold.
Jabari brought a jug of homemade raspberry shrub to the summer picnic.
collocation: [fruit] + shrub naming the flavour
In old Boston taverns, sailors used to order shrub by the small glass.
historical context — common usage frame
Christopher's grandmother kept a bottle of orange shrub in her parlour cupboard.
The recipe book includes a pineapple shrub that was popular in colonial Virginia.
- cordial
a closely related sweet alcoholic drink; less specifically tied to fruit + rum
文法句型
a glass of shrub
[fruit] shrub
用法筆記
Frequently used as a count noun with a flavour modifier ('a raspberry shrub'), and as a mass noun without an article ('a glass of shrub'). Often appears in historical or recipe-book contexts rather than modern menus.
3. a sharp, non-alcoholic syrup of sweetened vinegar steeped with fruit or herbs, s
a sharp, non-alcoholic syrup of sweetened vinegar steeped with fruit or herbs, stirred into cocktails to give them a tart edge.
Ilan poured a strawberry shrub over crushed ice and topped the glass with soda water.
collocation: [fruit] shrub + soda water
The bartender at the Layla Hotel makes a basil shrub with apple-cider vinegar and honey.
domain: cocktail/mixology
Linh keeps a jar of rhubarb shrub in the fridge for weekend cocktails.
Esme served the gin with a splash of her own ginger shrub instead of tonic water.
- drinking vinegar
more transparent everyday term for the same product
- switchel
a related vinegar-based drink; sweetened with molasses or honey rather than fruit
文法句型
[fruit] shrub
shrub cocktail
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is non-alcoholic and vinegar-based, used as a mixer; sense 2 is the finished drink itself. Typical objects of 'make' or 'pour'.