noun
grub
gruhb
noun
1
The soft, worm-like larva of certain insects, especially beetles.
"The gardener found several grubs while digging up the flowerbed."
2
Food.
"Let's grab some grub before the movie starts."
verb
1
To dig in the ground, especially searching for something.
"The pigs grubbed around in the mud looking for roots."
How to Use Grub
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither an insect larva, or informal slang for food.
When to use it
The "food" sense is informal/slang.
Common pairings
grab some grub
a fat grub
Word Forms
grubbed past tense, grubs plural, grubs singular
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The gardener found several _____ while digging up the flowerbed.
Etymology
From an Old English root meaning "to dig"; the slang sense of "food" appeared in the 17th century, possibly linked to the idea of birds digging up grubs to eat.