[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/grub/)

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# grub

noun (a grub, grubs — larva; grub — uncountable, slang: food); verb (grub, grubs, grubbed, grubbing)

«grub» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A grub is the young, worm-like form (larva) of some insects, especially beetles, which lives in soil or wood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#m1)
2. (informal, UK, Australia, NZ) Grub means food: «Grub's up!» means the meal is ready. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#m2)
3. (verb) To grub means to dig or search about in the ground or in a messy place: «the pig grubbed for roots». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#m3)
4. (Australia) A «witchetty grub» is a large grub eaten as traditional bush food by Aboriginal people. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science lessons grubs come up in insect life cycles (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and food chains: birds, hedgehogs and badgers eat grubs. In everyday talk «grub» is cheerful slang for food, especially at camp or at home. In Australian lessons, witchetty grubs are part of bush tucker. The adjective «grubby» means dirty.

### Examples

- The bird pulled a fat grub out of the lawn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x1)
- A beetle grub lives in rotten wood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x2)
- «Grub's up!» called Dad from the kitchen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x3)
- The food at camp was good grub. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x4)
- Witchetty grubs are a traditional Aboriginal bush food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x5)
- The hedgehog grubbed around in the leaves for insects. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x6)
- A grub is the larva stage of a beetle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x7)
- Catherine went as she was bid, and began to grub for them, and soon made herself very dirty with the earth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/#x8)

### Note

Plural «grubs» (insects). As «food» it is informal and uncountable: «some grub». Past «grubbed». «Grubby» (dirty) comes from it. A grub is a larva, not a worm, even though it looks wormy.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «grub» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/grub/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«grub» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/grub.html) on Mova free.