Grubb

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To dig out tree stumps and roots from cleared ground ; a family name borne by various people, especially in English-speaking countries
2. To pull up stumps and roots from a plot of land ; a surname carried by many people in Britain and elsewhere
3. Clearing land by digging out roots and stumps ; a common family name found among English-speaking populations

Etymology: The spelling "grubb" with a doubled final consonant is an older or variant form of "grub," the verb meaning to dig or root about in the ground. English took it from Middle English "grubben," which most scholars trace to Old English words for digging, though the exact link is uncertain. The sense of digging in the soil gave rise to the familiar idea of rooting through things or searching around for something. The noun "grub" for a soft, legless insect larva seems to come from the same idea of a creature burrowing or working through the earth, though the precise path of that shift is not fully settled. In modern usage the single-b form is rare, and most dictionaries treat it as a spelling variant of "grub." It is also a common surname, which is a separate matter from the verb.