Main Entry:

¹bud

Pronunciation:

\ˈbəd\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English budde

Date:

14th century

1: a small lateral or terminal protuberance on the stem of a plant that may develop into a flower, leaf, or shoot2: something not yet mature or at full development: as a: an incompletely opened flower b: child, youth c (1): an outgrowth of an organism that differentiates into a new individual : gemma (2): an outgrowth having the potential to differentiate and grow into a definitive organ or part : primordium <an embryonic limb bud> 3: buddy

— in the bud

: in an early stage of development <nipped the rebellion in the bud>