[ grəʊ ]
■ verb ( past grew gru: ; past participle ~n grəʊn )
1》 (of a living thing) undergo natural development by increasing in size and changing physically.
↘( ~ up ) progress to maturity or adulthood.
↘( ~ out of or into ) become too large (or large enough) to wear.
2》 come into existence and develop.
↘(with reference to a plant) germinate or cause to germinate and develop.
3》 become larger or greater over time; increase.
↘develop or expand (an enterprise or business).
↘become increasingly: we grew braver.
4》 ( ~ on ) become gradually more appealing to.
Phrases
~ on trees [usu. with negative ] informal be plentiful or easily obtained.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~er noun
Origin
OE grōwan , of Gmc origin; related to grass and green .
Usage
The use of ~ as a transitive verb has long been standard in contexts which refer to ~ing one's hair and plants ( more land was needed to ~ crops ). More recently, however, it has extended its transitive sense and become popular in business jargon: entrepreneurs who are struggling to ~ their businesses. This is still a relatively new usage, and it is perhaps better to avoid it in formal contexts.