What does "sprout" mean?
A new growth of or on a plant, whether from seed or other parts.
Sprout
/spɹaʊt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A new growth of or on a plant, whether from seed or other parts.
- Grammar: sprout is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accrue from, ackerspyre, adventurer, alfalfa sprout.
- Useful contrasts: adult plant, cease, die.
- Usage evidence: Professor Sprout acclimated the plant to a new environment.
How to use "sprout"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sprout" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sprout" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sprout" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sprout" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sprout" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accrue from" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sprout", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A new growth of or on a plant, whether from seed or other parts.
- 2 a newly grown bud (especially from a germinating seed) wordnet
- 3 A germinated seed, an incipient young plant.
"Near-synonyms: seedling, chit"
- 4 any new growth of a plant such as a new branch or a bud wordnet
- 5 A germinated seed, an incipient young plant.; An edible variety of such, grown and intended as food; examples include bean, alfalfa, kale, and others.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A germinated seed, an incipient young plant.; An edible variety of such, grown and intended as food; examples include bean, alfalfa, kale, and others.; A bean sprout.
- 7 A child. figuratively
"Oh my, how your sprouts have grown!"
- 8 A Brussels sprout.
"In our family we only eat sprouts once a year, at Christmas."
Verb
- 1 To grow from seed; to germinate. intransitive
"The crocuses should be sprouting after 2 months, provided they're well tended."
- 2 put forth and grow sprouts or shoots wordnet
- 3 To cause to grow from a seed. transitive
"I sprouted beans and radishes and put them in my salad."
- 4 produce buds, branches, or germinate wordnet
- 5 To deprive of sprouts. transitive
"to sprout potatoes"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 To emerge from the ground as sprouts. intransitive
- 7 To emerge haphazardly from a surface. figuratively, intransitive
"Whiskers sprouted from the old man's chin."
- 8 To emerge or appear haphazardly. figuratively, intransitive
"A lot of coffee shops have sprouted up in this neighbourhood since the block of flats was put up."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Professor Sprout acclimated the plant to a new environment."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sprout"?
Common synonyms include: accrue from, ackerspyre, adventurer, alfalfa sprout, arise, arise.
How do you use "sprout" in a sentence?
Professor Sprout acclimated the plant to a new environment.
How do you pronounce "sprout"?
Pronounced /spɹaʊt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English sproute, either from Middle English sprouten (“to sprout”) (see below); or from Middle Dutch sprute or Middle Low German sprûte (“sprout”), all related to Proto-West Germanic *spreutan. Doublet of spruit.
Etymology 2
From Middle English sprouten, spruten, from Old English sprūtan, from Proto-West Germanic *spreutan, from Proto-Germanic *spreutaną.
Etymology 3
* As a Dutch surname, from spruit (“sprout, shoot”) * As an English and Scottish surname, spelling variant of Sprott