sprout
SPROUT
/spraʊt/
To begin to grow and push out new shoots, leaves, or buds; or a young shoot of a plant.
Emphasizes the visual action of breaking through soil or growing rapidly.
The story behind the word. From Old English 'sproutan' (to sprout, burst forth), from Proto-Germanic *sprut- (to shoot forth). Related to Dutch 'spruiten' and German 'spriessen'. The word captures the sudden, energetic push of plant growth breaking topsoil.
Word relationships
- shoot: 'Shoot' is primarily the physical young stem structure, while 'sprout' covers both verb action and young stem.
- germinate: 'Germinate' is the invisible internal seed activation process, while 'sprout' is the visible shoot emergence.
- wither: To dry up and die down.
Commonly confused with
- bloom: 'Sprout' is green stem emergence; 'bloom' is flower opening.
Word family
- sprouted (adjective): Having put forth new shoots.
Collocations
- sprout leaves
- sprout up
- fresh sprout
- bean sprout
Idioms & expressions
- sprout up like mushrooms
Example sentences
- "Tiny green bean shoots began to sprout through the soil after three days of rain." Garden observation
- "New coffee shops began to sprout up across the newly renovated downtown area." Metaphorical rapid emergence
Memory hook
SPROUT = SPREAD OUT and SHOOT OUT of the mud! Emerging green shoot.
When not to use
Do not use 'sprout' for fully mature branches or adult trees.
Fun facts
- Brussels sprouts are actually tiny cabbage buds that sprout in clusters along a thick central stalk!
Explore more words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.