To complete the sterile hand-washing and preparation procedure required before entering a surgical operating room
To wash your hands and arms in a special medical way so you can go into an operating room
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To undergo the formal sterile hand and arm washing procedure required before participating in a surgical operation
"The attending surgeon told the medical student she could scrub in for the appendectomy."
You wanna scrub in? You can scrub in.
— Grey's Anatomy, Season 1 (ABC, 2005)
(Informal extension) To join a team or activity after completing the required preparation, borrowed from the medical sense
"The new technician finally scrubbed in on the lab project after finishing his safety certification."
To scrub (wash vigorously) in order to go in — 'in' refers to entering the sterile surgical environment
To wash your hands and arms in a special medical way so you can go into an operating room
Primarily a medical/surgical term used by doctors, nurses, and surgical staff. Well known to the general public largely through medical TV dramas. Almost exclusively used in a hospital or operating theatre context.
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