grub

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡɹʌb/

Noun

grub

1. (countable) An immature stage in the life cycle of an insect; a larva.

   Synonyms: larva

2. (uncountable, slang) Food.

   Synonyms: Thesaurus:food

3. (obsolete) A short, thick man; a dwarf.
   • , The survey of Cornwall.

     John Romane, a short clownish grub, would bear the whole carcase of an ox, yet never tugged with him.

4. (Australia, slang) A dirty person.
5. (Australia, slang) A despicable person; a lowlife.

Related terms

• caterpillar
• maggot
• worm

Translations

• French: larve
• German: Larve, Wurm
• Italian: larva, bruco
• Portuguese: larva
• Russian: личи́нка
• Spanish: larva, verme

Translations

• French: bouffe
• Italian: sbobba
• Russian: харчи́
• Spanish: manduca, manducatoria, condumio, papeo

Verb

grub (grubs, present participle grubbing; past and past participle grubbed)

1. To scavenge or in some way scrounge, typically for food.
2. (ambitransitive) To dig; to dig up by the roots; to root out by digging; often followed by up.

   to grub up trees, rushes, or sedge

   • They do not attempt to grub up the root of sin.

   • 1898, J. Meade Falkner, Moonfleet Chapter 4

     Yet there was no time to be lost if I was ever to get out alive, and so I groped with my hands against the side of the grave until I made out the bottom edge of the slab, and then fell to grubbing beneath it with my fingers.

3. (slang, dated, transitive) To supply with food.
4. (slang, dated) To eat.

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