sprout

1 of 2

verb

ˈsprau̇t 

sprouted; sprouting; sprouts

intransitive verb

1

: to grow, spring up, or come forth as or as if a sprout

2

: to send out new growth

transitive verb

: to send forth or up : cause to develop : grow

sprout

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: shoot sense 1a

especially : a young shoot (as from a seed or root)

b sprouts plural

(1)

chiefly British : brussels sprout sense 2

(2)

: edible sprouts especially from recently germinated seeds (as of alfalfa or mung beans)

2

: something resembling a sprout: such as

a

: a young person

b

: scion sense 1

Synonyms

Noun

• bairn [chiefly Scottish]
• bambino
• bud
• chap [Southern & Midland]
• chick
• child
• cub
• juvenile
• kid
• kiddie
• kiddy
• kiddo
• moppet
• sprat
• squirt
• whelp
• youngling
• youngster
• youth

Examples of sprout in a Sentence

Verb

seeds sprouting in the spring

Potatoes will sprout in the bag if kept in a warm place.

The garden is sprouting weeds.

The tree is already sprouting leaves.

He sprouted a beard since the last time I saw him.

She dreamed that her boss had sprouted horns.

Hair sprouted on his face.

Noun

he earned the admiration of the neighborhood sprouts when he showed them how to make a slingshot

the raspberry bushes began sending out sprouts in early spring

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As production expanded, agrochemical distributors, tree nurseries and packing houses sprouted on Purhépecha lands, clearing native pine trees and eroding the fertile soils. —Viridiana Hernández Fernández, Discover Magazine, 3 June 2024

Walton sprouted six inches between his sophomore and junior years at Helix High and stood at 6-10½ as a senior bound for UCLA because of its attractive blend of athletics and academics. —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2024

Noun

Invigorated by the damp, fungi living quietly in the soil sprout fruiting bodies. —Rachel Bujalski Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 11 June 2024

Foods including miso base, cut tomatoes, tofu, eel, shrimp tempura and one container of sprouts were outside of proper holding temperatures, according to the report. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 7 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English spruten, from Old English -sprūtan; akin to Old High German spriozan to sprout, Lithuanian sprausti to squeeze, thrust

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sprout

• brussels sprout
• water sprout

Kids Definition

sprout

1 of 2 verb

ˈsprau̇t 

1

: to grow or spring up as or as if a sprout

2

: to send out new growth

potatoes kept too warm will sprout in the bag

3

: to send forth or up : cause to develop : grow

sprout

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: shoot entry 2 sense 1a

especially : a young shoot (as from a seed or root)

2

plural : edible young shoots especially from recently germinated seeds (as of alfalfa)

Medical Definition

sprout

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈsprau̇t 

: to send out new growth : produce sprouts

vascular endothelial growth factor … has been shown to spur blood vessels to sprout

—Greg Miller

sprout

2 of 2 noun

: a new outgrowth (as of nerve tissue) resembling the young shoot of a plant

segments of the axon above the injury … produce new sprouts

—J. L. Marx