sprout
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to cause to sprout.
-
to remove sprouts from.
Sprout and boil the potatoes.
noun
-
a shoot of a plant.
-
a new growth from a germinating seed, or from a rootstock, tuber, bud, or the like.
-
something resembling or suggesting a sprout, as in growth.
-
a young person; youth.
-
sprouts,
-
the young shoots of alfalfa, soybeans, etc., eaten as a raw vegetable.
-
verb
-
(of a plant, seed, etc) to produce (new leaves, shoots, etc)
-
to begin to grow or develop
new office blocks are sprouting up all over the city
noun
-
a newly grown shoot or bud
-
something that grows like a sprout
-
See Brussels sprout
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sproutsimple
-
sproutssimple
-
have sproutedperfect
-
has sproutedperfect
-
am sproutingprogressive
-
are sproutingprogressive
-
is sproutingprogressive
-
have been sproutingperfect progressive
-
has been sproutingperfect progressive
Past
-
sproutedsimple
-
had sproutedperfect
-
was sproutingprogressive
-
were sproutingprogressive
-
had been sproutingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sprout
1150–1200; (v.) Middle English spr ( o ) uten, Old English -sprūtan, in āsproten (past participle; see a- 3); cognate with Middle Dutch sprūten, German spriessen to sprout; akin to Greek speírein to scatter; (noun) Middle English; compare Middle Dutch, Middle Low German sprute
Explanation
A sprout is a small growth on a plant — a little new bud. Other things can sprout too: kids are constantly sprouting (growing). The key thing to think of when you're trying to remember the meaning of sprout is growth — as a noun, a sprout is a new growth of a plant, and as a verb, to sprout means to grow. Sprouting mainly applies to height and to the young, whether you're talking about plants, people, or things. An older person who gains fifty pounds is growing but not sprouting.
Vocabulary lists containing sprout
Bud, Not Buddy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Seedfolks
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Old Yeller
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The phrase has appeared almost 500,000 times across social platforms since that month, according to the analytics firm Sprout Social, with more than 37 billion impressions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
While the use of AI to create the advert has been divisive, a report from analytics company Social Sprout found it had a 61% "positive sentiment rating" from commenters online.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025
On Instagram, Diaper Diplomacy’s engagement rate is 748% higher than similar accounts on the platform, and more than double the rate of similar TikTok accounts, according to data from Sprout Social, a social-media analytics company.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
It was nearly impossible for Sprout to scrape the dirt completely from under her nails, but after a lifetime of being “raised by plants,” as she put it, she was used to the mess.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025
“We’ll tell Professor Sprout where you’ve gone. “I warned her!” said Ron as Hermione hurried out of the Great Hall, cradling her hands.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
