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: such as
a
: an incompletely opened flower
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
4
slang
: marijuana
The dance floor is packed. Red and blue lights filter through cigarette and bud smoke.—
T-Love
T-Love
budded; budding
1
of a plant
a
: to set or put forth buds
b
: to commence growth from buds
2
: to grow or develop from or as if from a bud
3
: to reproduce asexually especially by the pinching off of a small part of the parent
1
: to produce or develop from buds
2
: to cause (a plant) to bud
3
: to insert a bud from a plant of one kind into an opening in the bark of (a plant of another kind) usually in order to propagate a desired variety
budder
noun
Synonyms
Examples of bud in a Sentence
Noun
The bush has plenty of buds but no flowers yet.
that sitcom star is still a bud, so all he needs right now are looks and personality
Verb
The trees budded early this spring.
Recent Examples on the WebChris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The charging case is wide at 1.06 by 3.16 by 1.75 inches (HWD) and a bit hefty at 2.35 ounces with the buds inside.
—Mark Knapp, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Most trees and shrubs have secondary buds that will produce new leaves.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Mar. 2024
Each flower lasts only a few days, but the Easter lily usually ships with unopened buds, so flowering can continue for two weeks when the plant is kept in bright light.
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024
To simplify, examine the stems each spring and look for obvious swelling buds.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
And nip allergy season in the bud with this best-selling Levoit air purifier.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
March 8 7 days from peak bloom 3°F warmer
March 10
6 days from peak bloom
1°F cooler
March 11
As temperatures rose early in the year, the cells in the bud became active and absorbed water from the branches of the tree.
—Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
These buds are also super comfortable to wear and come in fun colors.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
The setting of my pre-transition memoir, in the conditions facing the budding trans communities of the late 20th century — when few of us were safe, accepted, employed, afforded medical care or visible in the media and libraries — also spoke to the current moment.
—Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The full moon is known by various names in Europe, including the egg moon to the Anglo-Saxons, and as the budding moon, growing moon, new shoots moon, or seed moon to the Celts.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
So while this Good Times is a sequel and not a remake, these Evans also coincidentally have a dim-bulb, artistically brilliant son named Junior (Jay Pharoah) and their daughter is also a brilliant, budding activist (Marsai Martin’s Grey).
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Less than a month after budding Pokémon trainers Liko and Roy embarked on their unforgettable journey together in Pokémon Horizons: The Series, The Pokémon Company International has announced that the anime’s next batch of episodes will officially premiere on May 10 on Netflix.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
The Fenty Beauty mogul, 36, isn't a stranger to the headlines circulating about a potential romance budding between The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 55, and the country singer, 29.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Still, the city’s budding fashion community is resilient and determined.
—Vogue, 6 Apr. 2024
The story doesn’t just focus on this budding romance.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
On the flagship Ear buds, the sound profile was tweaked once more and includes new personalization options, and their battery life has been extended by 25 percent.
—Chris Welch, The Verge, 18 Apr. 2024
The charging case is wide at 1.06 by 3.16 by 1.75 inches (HWD) and a bit hefty at 2.35 ounces with the buds inside.
—Mark Knapp, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Most trees and shrubs have secondary buds that will produce new leaves.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 30 Mar. 2024
Each flower lasts only a few days, but the Easter lily usually ships with unopened buds, so flowering can continue for two weeks when the plant is kept in bright light.
—Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Mar. 2024
To simplify, examine the stems each spring and look for obvious swelling buds.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
And nip allergy season in the bud with this best-selling Levoit air purifier.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 6 Apr. 2024
March 8 7 days from peak bloom 3°F warmer
March 10
6 days from peak bloom
1°F cooler
March 11
As temperatures rose early in the year, the cells in the bud became active and absorbed water from the branches of the tree.
—Harry Stevens, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
These buds are also super comfortable to wear and come in fun colors.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Verb
The Kings kept their playoff hopes alive while avenging last year’s season-ending loss to the Warriors in Game 7 of a memorable first-round series that planted the seeds for this budding Northern California rivalry.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024
The setting of my pre-transition memoir, in the conditions facing the budding trans communities of the late 20th century — when few of us were safe, accepted, employed, afforded medical care or visible in the media and libraries — also spoke to the current moment.
—Diana Goetsch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2024
The full moon is known by various names in Europe, including the egg moon to the Anglo-Saxons, and as the budding moon, growing moon, new shoots moon, or seed moon to the Celts.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 16 Apr. 2024
So while this Good Times is a sequel and not a remake, these Evans also coincidentally have a dim-bulb, artistically brilliant son named Junior (Jay Pharoah) and their daughter is also a brilliant, budding activist (Marsai Martin’s Grey).
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Less than a month after budding Pokémon trainers Liko and Roy embarked on their unforgettable journey together in Pokémon Horizons: The Series, The Pokémon Company International has announced that the anime’s next batch of episodes will officially premiere on May 10 on Netflix.
—EW.com, 10 Apr. 2024
The Fenty Beauty mogul, 36, isn't a stranger to the headlines circulating about a potential romance budding between The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 55, and the country singer, 29.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
Still, the city’s budding fashion community is resilient and determined.
—Vogue, 6 Apr. 2024
The story doesn’t just focus on this budding romance.
—Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bud.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bud
Cite this Entry
“Bud.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bud. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bud
1 of 2 noun1
: a small growth at the tip or on the side of a plant stem that later develops into a flower, leaf, or new shoot
2
: a flower that has not fully opened
3
: a part that grows out from the body of a plant or animal and develops into a new individual
4
: a stage in which something is not yet fully developed
trees in bud
a plan still in the bud
bud
2 of 2 verb
budded; budding
1
: to set or put forth buds
2
: to be or develop like a bud (as in freshness and promise of growth)
a budding diplomat
3
: to reproduce by the pinching off of a small part of the parent
budding yeast cells
4
: to insert a bud from one plant into an opening cut in the bark of (another plant) in order to grow a desired variety
Medical Definition
bud
1 of 2 noun1
a
: an asexual reproductive structure
b
: a primordium having potentialities for growth and development into a definitive structure
an embryonic limb bud
a horn bud
2
: an anatomical structure (as a tactile corpuscle) resembling a bud
bud
2 of 2 intransitive verb
budded; budding
: to reproduce asexually especially by the pinching off of a small part of the parent
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