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Definition of sprout verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sprout

verb
 
/spraʊt/
 
/spraʊt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they sprout
 
/spraʊt/
 
/spraʊt/
he / she / it sprouts
 
/spraʊts/
 
/spraʊts/
past simple sprouted
 
/ˈspraʊtɪd/
 
/ˈspraʊtɪd/
past participle sprouted
 
/ˈspraʊtɪd/
 
/ˈspraʊtɪd/
-ing form sprouting
 
/ˈspraʊtɪŋ/
 
/ˈspraʊtɪŋ/
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  1. [intransitive] (of plants or seeds) to produce new leaves or buds; to start to grow
    • new leaves sprouting from the trees
    • The seeds will sprout in a few days.
    Topics Plants and treesc2
  2. [intransitive, transitive] to appear; to develop something, especially in large numbers
    • Hundreds of mushrooms had sprouted up overnight.
    • sprout something The town has sprouted shopping malls, discos and nightclubs in recent years.
  3. [transitive, intransitive] to start to grow something; to start to grow on somebody/something
    • sprout something Tim has sprouted a beard since we last saw him.
    • I wished I could just sprout wings and fly away.
    • sprout from something Hair sprouted from his chest.
  4. Word OriginMiddle English: of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spruiten and German spriessen.
See sprout in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
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