bud 1
— budder , n. — budless , adj. — budlike , adj.
/bud/ , n. , v. , budded, budding .
n.
1. Bot.
a. a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage (leaf bud) , the rudimentary inflorescence (flower bud) , or both (mixed bud) .
b. an undeveloped or rudimentary stem or branch of a plant.
2. Zool. (in certain animals of low organization) a prominence that develops into a new individual, sometimes permanently attached to the parent and sometimes becoming detached; gemma.
3. Mycol. a small, rounded outgrowth produced from a fungus spore or cell by a process of asexual reproduction, eventually separating from the parent cell as a new individual: commonly produced by yeast and a few other fungi.
4. Anat. any small rounded part.
5. an immature or undeveloped person or thing.
6. in the bud , in an immature or undeveloped state: a Shakespeare in the bud. Also, in bud .
7. nip in the bud , to stop (something) in the beginning of its development: The rebellion was nipped in the bud.
v.i.
8. to put forth or produce buds.
9. to begin to develop.
10. to be in an early stage of development.
v.t.
11. to cause to bud.
12. Hort. to graft by inserting a single bud into the stock.
[ 1350-1400; ME budde bud, spray, pod; akin to G Hagebutte hip, ON budda purse, dial. Sw bodd head, D buidel bag, purse, MLG buddich swollen ]
bud 2
/bud/ , n.
brother; buddy (used in informal address, as to one's brother or to a man or boy whose name is not known to the speaker).
[ 1850-55, Amer.; back formation from BUDDY ]