Scrubland
/ˈskrʌbˌlænd/noun
Land covered with low, stunted shrubs or bushes.
Did you know?The word is built from the same old Germanic root behind 'shrub' and 'scrub,' so its name carries the idea of rough, stunted growth rather than lush abundance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skrub-
“to rub, scrape; rough growth”
Old English
OE
scrubban
“to rub hard, scour”
Middle English
ME
shrubbe
“a low woody plant; bush”
17th Century
English
scrub
“stunted bushes or brushwood”
19th Century
English
scrubland
“land covered with scrub or brush”