Meaning & use

sprout

verb·Everyday

To begin to grow, or to send out new shoots from a seed, bulb, or plant.

See it in a sentence

New potatoes had already begun to sprout in the dark pantry.

She added fresh bean sprouts to the stir-fry for extra crunch.

A note on using this word

Sprout can describe plants, hair, or even ideas that begin to develop quickly, as in 'new businesses sprouted downtown.'

Words with a similar meaning

shootbud

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sprout”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.