Scrubbiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being covered with or consisting of short, dense, and often stunted vegetation or bushes
2. A condition marked by thin or patchy growth that appears rough and scruffy
3. The state of having sparse, low, or rough plant growth, often indicating poor or dry terrain

Etymology: "Scrubbiness" is a plain formation: the adjective "scrubby" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn a quality into a noun. "Scrubby" itself describes land or growth that is stunted, sparse and rough, the kind of vegetation that grows where soil is poor and the wind is harsh. The suffix "-ness" has been attached to English adjectives since Old English, and it is the usual way of naming the state or quality an adjective describes, so "scrubbiness" simply names the condition of being scrubby. The root "scrub" is the more interesting part of the family. It first appeared in English as a term for low, stunted trees and bushes, and "scrubby" took on the sense of mean, shabby or undersized from there. The word therefore carries the image of a plant that has grown thin and patchy, and "scrubbiness" applies that image to anything that looks rough, unkempt or sparse.

Synonyms: roughness, coarseness, scrub, bristle, frizziness

Antonyms: smoothness, softness, sleekness, polish, satinness