scrub

1. to rub hard with a brush, cloth, etc., or against a rough surface in washing.
2. to subject to friction; rub.
3. to remove (dirt, grime, etc.) from something by hard rubbing while washing.
4. Chemistry. to remove (impurities or undesirable components) from a gas by chemical means, as sulfur dioxide from smokestack gas or carbon dioxide from exhaled air in life-support packs.
5. to cancel or postpone (a space flight or part of a mission):

   Ground control scrubbed the spacewalk.

6. Slang. to do away with; cancel:

   Scrub your vacation plans—there's work to do!

7. Computers.
   1. to perform routine maintenance on (data) in memory or storage with scans that detect and correct data corruption:

      The system is automated to scrub and archive all active records in the database.

   2. to permanently erase (a hard drive, server, etc.), usually by writing over space where data had been stored and was later deleted, so that deleted data cannot be recovered:

      Scrub your computer’s hard drive before you sell or donate it.

   3. to delete (negative or damaging online content relating to someone or something) so as to erase it from public record or social media: Before applying for jobs, I scrubbed a bunch of posts from my hard-partying past.

      The marketing team scrubbed the disgraced celebrity spokesperson from their website within hours of the scandal.

      Before applying for jobs, I scrubbed a bunch of posts from my hard-partying past.

1. to cleanse something by hard rubbing.
2. Digital Technology. to fast-forward or rewind in an audio or video file by dragging the progress marker forward or backward across the timeline bar:

   Scrub forward through the pregame and start playback from the kickoff.

1. an act or instance of scrubbing.
2. a canceled or postponed space flight, launching, scheduled part of a space mission, etc.
3. something, as a cosmetic preparation, used for scrubbing.
4. scrubs, a uniform, durably designed for frequent washing and sanitizing, usually consisting of pants and a loose-fitting top, worn by doctors, nurses, and other medical staff, especially during surgery: nursing scrubs.

   surgical scrubs;

   nursing scrubs.

verb phrase

1. to cleanse one's hands and arms as a preparation to performing or assisting in surgery.

1. low trees or shrubs collectively.
2. a large area covered with low trees and shrubs, as the Australian bush.
3. a domestic animal of mixed or inferior breeding; mongrel.
4. a small or insignificant person.
5. anything undersized or inferior.
6. Sports. a player not belonging to the varsity or regular team; a player who is not first-string.

1. small, undersized, or stunted.
2. inferior or insignificant.
3. abounding in or covered with low trees and shrubs:

   They rode through scrub country.