SHRUB  . (i) A bushy plant whose

stem is woody and branches out thickly from the ground, not attaining sufficient height to be called a tree; this smallness of vertical growth is natural or is effected by cutting and lopping at an early stage or at stated seasons . The term is loose in application and the line between shrubs, trees and certain woody herbaceous plants is not easy to draw . The holly, the yew, the laurel, if allowed to grow from a single stem, become trees, other plants such as rhododendron, syringa, the euonymous are properly shrubs . The word is the same as "scrub," low, stunted undergrowth, in O . Eng. scrob; the root, which is also seen in "shrimp" and " shrivel," means to contract . Many English place-names contain the word, the most familiar being Shrewsbury (Scrobbesbyrig) and Wormwood Scrubs . (2) The name of a drink or cordial, now rarely found except in country districts . It is made of currant juice boiled with water and sugar to which some spirit, usually rum, is added . Another form of the drink is made of rum, orange and lemon juice, peel, sugar and water . The word is an adaptation of the Arabic sharb or sharab, beverage, drink, shariba, he drank, and is thus directly related to " sherbet " and " syrup " (q.v.) . SHUFFLE-BOARD, or SHOVEL-BOARD (originally "shove-board "), a game in which wood or metal disks are " shoved " by the hand or with an implement so that they shall come to a stop on or within certain lines or compartments marked on the " board "—a table or a floor .

It was formerly very popular in

England, especially with the aristocracy, under the names shove-groat, slide-groat and shovel-penny, being mentioned as early as the 15th century . It was a favourite pastime at the great country houses, some of the boards having been of exquisite workmanship . That at Chartley Hall in Staffordshire was over 30 ft. long and was made up of 26o pieces . Shuffle-board enjoys considerable vogue in the United States, the board being from 28 to 30 ft. long and from 18 to 20 in. wide, of pine, poplar or white wood, with a gutter 41 in. wide extending entirely round the board . The surface is slightly sanded and sometimes oiled . About 5 in. from each end of the board is drawn a line called the deuce line . Each side, whether composed of two or four persons, used four disks of polished brass or iron, generally about 2 in. in diameter and in. thick . When two persons play they shove first from one end of the board and then from the other; but when four play one of each side remains permanently at each end . The disks, four of which are marked A and four B, are shoved alternately by each side . A disk resting between the deuce line and.the end of the board is in and scores two . One protruding over the end sufficiently to be lifted by the finger is called a ship and counts three . A disk resting on the board but not crossing the line counts one .

In scoring only the best of the eight disks counts, unless one side has two that are better than any of their opponents', in which

case both count . The side first scoring 21 points wins . A variety of shuffle-board is very popular as a deck game onboard steamers and yachts . It is played by pushing wooden disks by means of crutch-shaped cues, or shovels, into which the disks fit, so that they come to a stop within the lines of a large rectangle drawn with chalk on the deck and divided into squares numbered from 1 to ro with an extra square nearest the player, numbered The game is usually 21 points .