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• Bud
  Bud

  noun

  a male given name.

bud

¹ American  

[buhd] / bʌd /

noun

1. Botany.

   1. a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage leaf bud, the rudimentary inflorescence flower bud, or both mixed bud.

   2. an undeveloped or rudimentary stem or branch of a plant.

2. Zoology. (in certain animals of low organization) a prominence that develops into a new individual, sometimes permanently attached to the parent and sometimes becoming detached; gemmule.

3. Mycology. 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 most yeast and a few other fungi.

4. Anatomy. any small rounded part.

5. an immature or undeveloped person or thing.

6. Slang. marijuana, especially potent marijuana from the buds, or flowering tops, of the hemp plant.

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verb (used without object)

• buds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budded,
  past participle,  past
• budding
  present participle

1. to put forth or produce buds.

2. to begin to develop.

3. to be in an early stage of development.

verb (used with object)

• buds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• budded,
  past participle,  past
• budding
  present participle

1. to cause to bud.

2. Horticulture. to graft by inserting a single bud into the stock.

idioms

1. in the bud, in an immature or undeveloped state: Also in bud.

   a Shakespeare in the bud.

2. nip in the bud, to stop (something) in the beginning of its development.

   The rebellion was nipped in the bud.

bud ² American  

[buhd] / bʌd /

noun

1. 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).

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Bud ³ American  

[buhd] / bʌd /

Or Budd

noun

1. a male given name.

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bud ¹ British  

/ bʌd /

noun

1. informal short for buddy

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bud ² British  

/ bʌd /

noun

1. a swelling on a plant stem consisting of overlapping immature leaves or petals

2. 1. a partially opened flower

   2. ( in combination )

      rosebud

3. any small budlike outgrowth

   taste buds

4. something small or immature

5. an asexually produced outgrowth in simple organisms, such as yeasts, and the hydra that develops into a new individual

6. a slang word for marijuana

7. at the stage of producing buds

8. to put an end to (an idea, movement, etc) in its initial stages

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verb

1. (intr) (of plants and some animals) to produce buds

2. (intr) to begin to develop or grow

3. (tr) horticulture to graft (a bud) from one plant onto another, usually by insertion under the bark

bud Scientific  

/ bŭd /

1. A small swelling on a branch or stem, containing an undeveloped shoot, leaf, or flower. Some species have mixed buds containing two of these structures, or even all three.

2. ◆ Terminal buds occur at the end of a stem, twig, or branch.

3. ◆ Axillary buds, also known as lateral buds, occur in the axils of leaves (in the upper angle of where the leaf grows from the stem).

4. ◆ Accessory buds often occur clustered around terminal buds or above and on either side of axillary buds. Accessory buds are usually smaller than terminal and axillary buds.

5. A small rounded outgrowth on an asexually reproducing organism, such as a yeast or hydra, that is capable of developing into a new individual.

6. See more at budding

7. A tiny part or structure, such as a taste bud, that is shaped like a plant bud.

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1. To form or produce a bud or buds.

bud More Idioms  

1. see nip in the bud.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• budder
  noun
• budless
  adjective
• budlike
  adjective
• nonbudding
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• budding
  present
• budded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bud
  simple
• buds
  simple
• have budded
  perfect
• has budded
  perfect
• am budding
  progressive
• are budding
  progressive
• is budding
  progressive
• have been budding
  perfect progressive
• has been budding
  perfect progressive

Past

• budded
  simple
• had budded
  perfect
• was budding
  progressive
• were budding
  progressive
• had been budding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bud
  simple
• will have budded
  perfect
• will be budding
  progressive
• will have been budding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bud¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English budde, bodde “bud, spray, pod”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle Dutch botte “bud,” or Old French bout “tip, end”

Origin of bud²

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; back formation from buddy

Explanation

The young part of a plant that's almost ready to flower or unfurl new leaves is called the bud. As a verb, bud also means to grow or develop. You will see the word bud most often in reference to plants, but it is also used metaphorically to refer to something that is still maturing: a "budding career," for instance, or a "budding romance." Scientists use bud to indicate a new formation of growth or something that splits apart to form a duplicate of itself, like a cell.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bud Bud buds budded budding

Hilton Worldwide Holdings appeared earlier this month to have nipped a similar public-relations crisis in the bud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

This is why a lot of Jews want to nip that rhetoric in the bud.

From Slate ● Dec. 19, 2025

"If we can nip it in the bud from even one person, then hopefully we could stop them potentially doing more harm to other people."

From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025

But it compounds a sense that Arsenal are experiencing a "blip" and need to nip it in the bud before it becomes more than that.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

The bud was plucked before the flower bloomed.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Earlier that day, however, witnesses testified that Powers had argued with a mutual acquaintance of Byrd and Roberts named Bud.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Station owner Bud Paxson had a newscaster auction the inventory over the air and it sold out quickly, leading to a regular show called “Suncoast Bargaineers.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

He went on to play with many leading jazz artists including Art Blakey, Bud Powell and Miles Davis.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

"Air Bud Returns," slated for release in US theaters in 2027, is the latest chapter in a franchise that began in 1997 featuring a runaway circus dog who has an extraordinary ability to play basketball.

From Barron's ● May 10, 2026

Lunch was a sandwich and a can of Coke in a town called Red Bud.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

When they hatch, the leaves they depend on are still sealed inside buds, leaving them with nothing to eat.

From Science Daily ● May 5, 2026

There are many places where “rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,” from one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, elicits a nod of recognition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

While most plants only had one flower with many buds yet to open up, some were in full bloom with the sweet fragrant scent only the lily can provide.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025

This includes Martha, a 23-year-old student in Leeds, who only shops at Primark for basics like T-shirts, socks, underwear and cotton buds.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

Some of the flowers haven’t blossomed yet, and I can feel the promise of life just waiting to unfold from the tiny buds under the weight of my finger.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

“If your hemagglutinin is too sticky and your neuraminidase is too poor, you get stuck to the cell that you’ve just budded from,” Peacock says.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 5, 2024

Evans said WA 64 was first budded in 2001 after being crossbred in 1998.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 25, 2023

Species responded to warmer temperatures in different ways - most kept their leaf colour longer into Autumn but some budded early.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2023

It had a Michigan secret receiver who budded to star.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 30, 2021

But the year turned to spring and the willows grew faintly green and the peach trees budded pink, and Wang Lung had not yet found the one he sought for his son.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

The 19-year-old, sporting a budding beard, usually operates from home, filling lulls by watching the TV show Criminal Minds or honing his drone-flying skills on a simulator.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

The budding astronaut has received tips on realising his dream from hero Tim Peake - and has even started learning Russian.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

“While we are encouraged by the company’s improved execution and budding operating leverage, we think the true value of the company is still very much in flux,” he said in his report.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

The Chargers have good reason to be excited about Thompson’s budding role.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

I know that I have a budding geek, and if I can get him sane through the next thirteen years, there will be another decent adult on this planet.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz