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

Sunset Fire The Sunset Fire sprouted in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening and burned approximately 43 acres before being 100% contained by Thursday afternoon. —Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025

To wit, the time-attack hobby has sprouted big events such as Games Done Quick, a livestreaming extravaganza that raises millions of dollars for charity every year. —Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025

Noun

On dinner tables frequented by Brussels sprouts, meatloaf is the well-meaning uncle whose knee-slappers are beloved, but not particularly hip. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2025

The ranch house, located in their hometown of Plains, in Sumter County, features a pond Jimmy helped dig and a magnolia tree transplanted from a sprout from a tree that Andrew Jackson planted on the lawn of the White House nearly 200 years ago. —Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 29 Dec. 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