ˈgrō verb
( grew ˈgrü ; also dialect growed ˈgrōd ; grown ˈgrōn ; also dialect growed ; growing ; grows )
Etymology: Middle English growen, from Old English grōwan; akin to Old High German gruoen, gruowan to grow, Old Norse grōa
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to spring up and come to maturity : have vegetal or animal life : exist as a living organism or one of its parts in a specified place : exist as native : thrive
some plants will not grow in sandy soils
the mosquitoes … grow in the swamps and marshy areas — Morris Fishbein
unsightly hair grows on his face
immense beds of oysters grow in the harbor — Joseph Mitchell
rice grows in warm countries
b. : to issue or become attached by or as if by a process of natural growth
depicted with wings growing from his shoulders
a plant growing out of a rock
the vines grew together, concealing the naked stone
2.
a. : to develop by natural processes: as
(1) : to increase in size or substance by assimilation of new matter into the living organism
the tree grew to an immense size
the child stopped growing at an early age
(2) : to increase in size by a natural inorganic process whereby material is added to the surface in such a way as to continue the established regular or periodic structure
crystals, as well as plants, grow — E.S.Dana
b. : to increase in any way : expand , gain
the wealth and power of the republic grew
the city grew by leaps and bounds
the saw making the woodpile grow — Meridel Le Sueur
grows in wisdom
specifically : to advance intellectually or morally
at 90 he is still growing and helping others to grow — H.A.Larrabee
the subject should enable … the college student to grow on several levels — Marion F. Stewart
3.
a. : result , originate
a lot of important business connections have grown from friendships between our wives and wives of executives of other companies — W.H.Whyte
— usually used with out
a smile of polite incredulity which grew out of … ignorance — H.J.Laski
b. : to come into existence : become established : arise
the original settlement … had grown on the Canberra site — H.W.H.King
— often used with up
a wicked practice had grown up
a troublesome situation has grown up
4.
a. : to pass by degrees into a state or condition : come to be : develop by degrees : become
grew pale at the sight
have grown to like her
grew bald
the amount of land per person is growing constantly less — W.P.Webb
his cold grew into pneumonia
b. obsolete : to come gradually or by degrees
grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put it in practice — Shakespeare
c.
(1) : to obtain an increasing influence or command — used with on or upon
a bad habit grows on a man
(2) obsolete : presume
(3) : to gain steadily in interest or attraction or in one's affection or estimation
this seemingly artless music … grows and grows the more we listen — Roland Gelatt
his poetry grows in one's mind — Delmore Schwartz
— usually used with on or upon
her looks were the kind that grow on a man — Fred Majdalany
5. of a ship's cable : to stretch out : tend , lead
transitive verb
1.
a. : to cause to grow : cultivate , produce
grow a crop
grow wheat
grow calves
this cheese was grown … in Nottinghamshire — Joyce Warren
Algeria grows good wines — A.J.Liebling
b. : to let grow on the body : develop on the body
decided to grow a beard
this prehistoric animal grew a thick protective covering
2. : to cover or surround with vegetation of a specified kind
all grown up to … bushes and grass — Dorothy C. Fisher
grown up with cottonwood and birch — Corey Ford
the house that was … grown about with weeds — Donn Byrne
3. : develop 7
grows a craving to tell the world what he thinks of it — Spectator
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- grow on trees