/ spraʊt; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
[ v ] ( of plants or seeds ) to produce new leaves or buds ; to start to grow :
new leaves sprouting from the trees
The seeds will sprout in a few days.
2.
to appear; to develop sth, especially in large numbers :
[ v ]
Hundreds of mushrooms had sprouted up overnight.
[ vn ]
The town has sprouted shopping malls, discos and nightclubs in recent years.
4.
to start to grow sth; to start to grow on sb/sth :
[ vn ]
Tim has sprouted a beard since we last saw him.
[ v ]
Hair sprouted from his chest.
■ noun
1.
= Brussels sprout
2.
a new part growing on a plant
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch spruiten and German spriessen .