Definition
To clean something by rubbing it hard with a rough material or brush, often with soap and water.
Etymology
From Middle Dutch or Low German 'schrobben,' related to 'scrabble' and words meaning 'to scratch' or 'to rub harshly.' It originally described the harsh, abrasive action of cleaning.
Kelly Says
The word 'scrub' has the same root as 'scratch'—both involve harsh, repetitive rubbing—and languages across Northern Europe use similar words because this scrubbing motion is something people instinctively understood the same way.
Translations
BGБългарски
търкам
tur-KAM
CSČeština
drhnout
DRH-not
DEDeutsch
schrubben
SHRU-ben
ETEesti
hõõruma
hoo-ru-MA
EUEuskara
igurtzi
i-gur-TZI
FISuomi
hangata
HAN-ga-ta
FRFrançais
frotter
fro-TE
HEעברית
לשפשף
le-shaf-SHEF
HIहिन्दी
रगड़ना
rag-ar-NA
HRHrvatski
ribati
ri-BA-ti
HUMagyar
dörzsöl
DOR-zhol
IDBahasa Indonesia
menggosok
meng-go-SOK
ITItaliano
strofinare
stro-fi-NA-re
LTLietuvių
šveisti
shvei-STI
MSBahasa Melayu
menggosok
meng-go-SOK
MYမြန်မာ
ပွတ်တိုက်
put-taik
NLNederlands
boenen
BOO-nen
PLPolski
szorować
sho-RO-vach
PTPortuguês
esfregar
es-fre-GAR
SKSlovenčina
drhnúť
DRH-noot
SLSlovenščina
drgniti
drg-NI-ti
SVSvenska
skrubba
SKRUB-ba
SWKiswahili
sugua
su-GU-a
TRTürkçe
ovalamak
o-va-la-MAK
UKУкраїнська
терти
ter-TY