sprout

verb \ ˈsprau̇t \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Examples: sprout in a Sentence

Definition of sprout

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

See sprout defined for English-language learners

See sprout defined for kids

Examples of sprout in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of sprout from the Web

In response to mounting concern over China’s massive terraforming efforts in the South China Sea—satellite images showed seven artificial islands sprouting in different spots—the country’s president was all honey and balm.

— The Economist, "China has militarised the South China Sea and got away with it," 21 June 2018
In other words, no one can actually prove the tree sprouted in the year 1218, when Genghis Khan was among the world's most feared leaders.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "A North Carolina oak tree dating back 800 years is under siege. Can it be saved?," 4 June 2018
Massive Agave americana sprouting in rosemary separate the area from the open lawn where the kids, now teenagers, once played soccer.

— emily young, latimes.com, "A Pasadena garden mixes fresh and modern design with a rustic style," 13 Apr. 2018
The seeds Hatch planted would not sprout in earnest for another nine months, but now Romney is by all accounts committed and poised to announce a Senate run as an overwhelming favorite on Feb. 15.

— matt viser, BostonGlobe.com, "Romney was recruited to run for Senate in Utah by Hatch," 6 Feb. 2018
Racist and anti-Semitic messages written in chalk also sprouted on sidewalks last year in Eugene and Corvallis.

— andrew theen, OregonLive.com, "OSU graduate student stopped on UO campus in 2017 with white supremacist flyers," 26 Jan. 2018
Producers take those seeds and sprout them in warm, humid conditions—which E. coli and Salmonella love.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Raw sprouts at Jimmy John’s linked to another outbreak—at least the 7th," 23 Jan. 2018
With the first-ever identification of a cosmic source of high-energy neutrinos, a new branch on the astronomy tree has sprouted.

— Smithsonian, "Scientists Explain The Thrill of Detecting a Neutrino From a Far-Off Galaxy," 12 July 2018
The villages have sprouted organically, but the Baker administration has become an active supporter of the movement.

— robert weisman, BostonGlobe.com, "The hidden, high-tech world of communications at Fenway Park," 7 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sprout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sprout

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

sprout

noun

Definition of sprout

1 a : shoot 1a; especially : a young shoot (as from a seed or root)

b sprouts plural

(1) chiefly British : brussels sprout 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 2

See sprout defined for English-language learners

Examples of sprout in a Sentence

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 of sprout from the Web

Creamy new-crop potatoes deserve a little appreciation before they’re sent off to root cellars, and Mr. Hardy built a fine appetizer around them with leggy broccoli sprouts and melting chunks of fresh mozzarella spiked with anchovy.

— New York Times, "Legacy Records Looks for History in a Brand New Neighborhood," 19 June 2018
Beef or turkey meatballs with a choice of sauces come on sandwiches or with sides like fried Brussels sprouts and creamy polenta.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "18 new restaurants in Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield and Indianapolis' north side," 27 June 2018
Monsanto crew members count hybrid corn sprouts in a testing field near Kihei, Hawaii, in 2014.

— mark lynas, WSJ, "Confession of an Anti-GMO Activist," 22 June 2018
Also, anaquas are not fast growers and will also send up root sprouts from the parent tree in some soil situations.

— calvin finch, San Antonio Express-News, "Your guide to foliage fit to feed the birds," 1 June 2018
Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes are glazed in balsamic, served up with kale, quinoa, and freekeh, topped with yogurt and chopped Granny Smith apples.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "Robots made me lunch. I enjoyed it. Is that so wrong?," 8 May 2018
Cut off the bottom stem and halve vertically each sprout.

— Cincinnati.com, "How to get kids to eat Brussels sprouts," 1 Mar. 2018
On rimmed baking sheet, toss Brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; roast in 475 degree F oven 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and tender.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Lamb Sausage with Confetti Couscous," 7 Jan. 2017
Only when the two are ready to mate will ovaries and egg-laying machinery populate the female’s genital tract, while the male sprouts testes.

— katherine j. wu, Smithsonian, "Alternatives to Heterosexual Pairings, Brought to You By Non-Human Animals," 28 June 2018