Meaning & use
grubs
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“grubs” is a form of “grub”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralbiology
The soft, fat larvae of certain insects, especially beetles.
Grammar: Plural of grub: one grub, many grubs.
Patterns
- grubs in something
Birds pulled grubs from the lawn.
Garden beetles lay eggs that hatch into grubs.
The soil was full of white grubs.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Searches by digging or turning things over, especially in the ground.
Grammar: Third person singular: he grubs; often with up or about.
Patterns
- grub around
- grub for something
The pig grubs for roots in the dirt.
She grubs around the drawer for coins.
He grubs up weeds each spring.
noununcountableinformal
Informal word for food.
Grammar: Grub is uncountable in this sense: the grub's ready.
Patterns
- grub's up
Grub's up, everyone!
We need some grub after hiking.
The camp grub was simple.
Word forms
| singular | grub |
|---|---|
| past tense | grubbed |
| -ing form | grubbing |
Common combinations
- juicy grubs
- The birds love juicy grubs.
- lawn grubs
- Lawn grubs damage grass.
- grubs hatch
- The grubs hatch in summer.
- dig for grubs
- Crows dig for grubs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- larvae
- Larvae is the scientific plural and applies to many insects.
- maggots
- Maggots are fly larvae, usually in rotten matter.
- caterpillars
- Caterpillars are moth or butterfly larvae with legs.
Word family
Commonly confused: grubs or grubs?
grubs vs grubs
Not the same as 'grubby', which means dirty.
Practice
The robin tugged fat white ___ out of the damp soil.
Choose one answer.
Grubs are insect larvae in soil. The others are different words.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grubs”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.