I. ˈsprau̇t, usu -au̇d.+V verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English spruten, sprouten, from Old English sprūtan; akin to Old Frisian sprūta to sprout, Middle Dutch & Middle Low German sprūten, Old High German spriozan to sprout, Gothic sprauto rapidly, Welsh ffrwst haste, Greek speirein to scatter, sow, sprinkle, Armenian p'aratem I disperse, take away; basic meaning: to scatter, sow
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to grow, spring up, or come forth as a sprout
vegetation that sprouted in a dried-up watercourse — Francis King
feathers do not sprout uniformly, but grow in patches — J.M.Downs
bowler hats banished by the war have been seen sprouting like mushrooms — Britain Today
parodies sprouted like weeds — J.D.Hart
— often used with from, out, or up
a long, lean individual with whitish stubble sprouting from his lantern jaw — F.V.W.Mason
limbs sprouting out two hundred feet from the ground — Norman Mailer
giant shopping centers that have sprouted up across the country — Newsweek
b. : to send new shoots forth or up : to develop new growth : bud , germinate
in that area the young grass sprouts at least a month earlier — James Stevenson-Hamilton
the bright green of the sprouting bracken — Algernon Blackwood
potatoes kept too warm will sprout prematurely
2. : to expand enormously in bulk when heated — used especially of some forms of graphite mica and especially vermiculite
transitive verb
1.
a. : to send (as a sprout) forth or up : to cause (a new growth) to develop : grow
trees sprouting their new green leaves
jurors who sprout beards during overnight deliberations — New York Times Magazine
b. : to cause (a plant or seed) to burgeon or germinate
the big rainy season … is as necessary for sprouting the seeds of the saguaro — D.C.Peattie
2. : to support or give rise to (something) in the manner of sprouting
rooftops began to sprout antennae — American Guide Series: Washington
the same soil can seemingly sprout suburban homes of rare beauty — E.H.Pickering
may be sprouting neuroses like dandelions — G.W.Johnson
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from spruten, sprouten, v.
1. : the shoot of a plant:
a. : a shoot from the seed
b. : the young growth from a root or tuber
c. : a shoot or sucker from the root or trunk of a tree
2. : something similar or likened to a sprout in appearance or development: as
a. : a person in his early years : offshoot , scion
a sprout who wants to go to school but isn't old enough — New Yorker
hanging around to listen were young sprouts, 16, 18, seldom 20 — Mari Sandoz
was now the turn of these young sprouts to get their ears beaten back — Key Reporter
b. : a new growth or development
small sprouts of liberal thought and practice make their appearance — L.S.Fever
new sprouts included the only large aviation gas refinery — E.O.Hauser
3. sprouts plural
a. : brussels sprouts
b. : bean sprouts
c. : kale
4. : coppice 3
III. verb
Etymology: probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian spruta to spurt, squirt — more at sprit
obsolete : spout , spurt