Shrubbery
/ˈʃrʌbəri/noun
A planting of shrubs; a small area of shrubs or bushes.
Did you know?Shrubbery comes from the same ancient root as *shrub* and *shrubby*, ultimately tied to a Germanic word for something cut back or stunted rather than a mystical or occult origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skrub- / *skrubb-
“to rub, scrape, or cut short; rough vegetation”
Old English
OE
scrubb
“rough bush, scrubby growth”
Middle English
ME
shrubbe
“a shrub; low woody plant”
16th Century
English
shrubbery
“a collection or planting of shrubs”
Modern English
English
shrubbery
“a planting of shrubs; a small area of shrubs or bushes”