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Added 1 October 2026

sprout

/spɹaʊt/ noun

In Latin: germen, turiō, surculus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sprout at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A new growth of or on a plant, whether from seed or other parts.
A germinated seed, an incipient young plant.
An edible variety of such, grown and intended as food; examples include bean, alfalfa, kale, and others. A bean sprout.

verb

To grow from seed; to germinate.
The crocuses should be sprouting after 2 months, provided they're well tended.
To cause to grow from a seed.
I sprouted beans and radishes and put them in my salad.
To deprive of sprouts.
to sprout potatoes

Origin

From Middle English sproute, either from Middle English sprouten (“to sprout”) (see below); or from Middle Dutch sprute or Middle Low German sprûte (“sprout”), all related to Proto-West Germanic *spreutan. Doublet of spruit.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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