Scour the backwoods (5)
I believe the answer is:
scrub
This might be a double definition.
'scour' is the first definition.
(I know that scour can be written as scrub)
'backwoods' is the second definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Maybe there's an association between them I don't understand?
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for scrub that I've seen before include "Rub hard - low vegetation" , "Curbs (anag.)" , "Discontinue" , "plants" , "Clean - scrap" .)