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 shoot
2 : 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>