2007-03-27 23:20:10 · 3 answers · asked by whitepearls 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
As the first answer says scrubs are what doctors and nurses wear in the operating theatre. I guess they are called that as both are required to 'scrub' themselves clean before entering the theatre to prevent disease and contamination.
2007-03-28 00:03:22 · answer #1 · answered by rdenig_male 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you think about it nurses and doctors "scrub" before performing surgery so doesn't that make sense to you? Here is the definition of scrubs when used to describe why it is called that in the medical field.
Main Entry: 2scrub
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): scrubbed; scrub·bing
Etymology: of Low German or Scandinavian origin; akin to Middle Low German & Middle Dutch schrubben to scrub, Swedish skrubba
transitive verb
1 a (1) : to clean with hard rubbing : SCOUR (2) : to remove by scrubbing b : to subject to friction : RUB
2 : WASH 6c(2)
3 : CANCEL, ELIMINATE
intransitive verb
1 : to use hard rubbing in cleaning
2 : to prepare for performing surgery by scrubbing oneself
- scrub·ba·ble /'skr&-b&-b&l/ adjective
2007-03-28 10:03:34 · answer #2 · answered by carly071 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scrubs are the uniforms that are used in hospital theatres - these are different to the one worn in wards.
2007-03-28 06:28:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋