sprout

[sprout]

verb (used without object)

1. to begin to grow; shoot forth, as a plant from a seed.

   Synonyms: develop, burgeon, bud, spring

2. (of a seed or plant) to put forth buds or shoots.

3. to develop or grow quickly.

   a boy awkwardly sprouting into manhood.

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to sprout.

2. to remove sprouts from.

   Sprout and boil the potatoes.

noun

1. a shoot of a plant.

2. a new growth from a germinating seed, or from a rootstock, tuber, bud, or the like.

3. something resembling or suggesting a sprout, as in growth.

4. a young person; youth.

5. sprouts,

   1. the young shoots of alfalfa, soybeans, etc., eaten as a raw vegetable.

   2. Brussels sprout.

sprout

/ spraʊt /

verb

1. (of a plant, seed, etc) to produce (new leaves, shoots, etc)

2. to begin to grow or develop

   new office blocks are sprouting up all over the city

noun

1. a newly grown shoot or bud

2. something that grows like a sprout

3. See Brussels sprout

Other Word Forms

• nonsprouting adjective
• resprout verb
• undersprout verb (used without object)
• unsprouted adjective
• unsprouting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprout¹

1150–1200; (v.) Middle English spr ( o ) uten, Old English -sprūtan, in āsproten (past participle; a- ³ ); cognate with Middle Dutch sprūten, German spriessen to sprout; akin to Greek speírein to scatter; (noun) Middle English; compare Middle Dutch, Middle Low German sprute

Word History and Origins

Origin of sprout¹

Old English sprūtan; related to Middle High German sprūzen to sprout, Lettish sprausties to jostle

Example Sentences

And from that pursuit, one of baseball’s most heated modern rivalries has sprouted.

From Los Angeles Times

My short, stubby toes curl into each other, sprouting from my fat foot.

From Salon

As with the fires, fundraisers and mutual aid societies and neighborhood watch groups have sprouted.

From Los Angeles Times

“From here you go into the world of alfalfa sprouts.”

From Los Angeles Times

The complete kit includes cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, and radicchio, roasted sunflower seeds, toasted quinoa, dried bits of mango and a Thai-style sweet and spicy vinaigrette.

From Salon

Related Words

• burgeon 
• germinate 
• grow