bud

[ buhd ]

/ bʌd /

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noun

Botany.

a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage (leaf bud ), the rudimentary inflorescence (flower bud ), or both (mixed bud ).
an undeveloped or rudimentary stem or branch of a plant.

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.

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.

Anatomy. any small rounded part.

an immature or undeveloped person or thing.

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

verb (used without object), bud·ded, bud·ding.

to put forth or produce buds.

to begin to develop.

to be in an early stage of development.

verb (used with object), bud·ded, bud·ding.

to cause to bud.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about bud

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

nip in the bud, to stop (something) in the beginning of its development: The rebellion was nipped in the bud.

Origin of bud

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”

OTHER WORDS FROM bud

budder, nounbudless, adjectivebudlike, adjectivenon·bud·ding, adjective, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bud

budder , butter

Other definitions for bud (2 of 3)

bud²

[ buhd ]

/ bʌd /

noun

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).

Origin of bud

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

Other definitions for bud (3 of 3)

Bud

or Budd

[ buhd ]

/ bʌd /

noun

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bud in a sentence

Some patients have waited months for their olfactory senses and taste buds to return.
As a food writer with covid, I worried I’d lose my sense of taste. It turned out to be much worse.|Tim Carman|November 29, 2020|Washington Post
Rock out to your workout jams without worrying about ripping the buds out of your ears, answer the phone seamlessly while you’re out grocery shopping, or easily listen to the updates on the big game while cooking dinner at home.
Best wireless headphones: Five things to consider|Carsen Joenk|November 25, 2020|Popular-Science
The tech giantsAmazon’s Echo Buds get new fitness tracking features — Say “Alexa, start my workout” with the buds in, and they’ll begin logging steps, calories, distance, pace and duration of runs.
Daily Crunch: Snapchat adds Spotlight|Anthony Ha|November 23, 2020|TechCrunch
Say “Alexa, start my workout” with the buds in, and they’ll begin logging steps, calories, distance, pace and duration of runs.
Amazon’s Echo Buds get new fitness tracking features|Brian Heater|November 23, 2020|TechCrunch

I was struck by that analogy while playing “The Pathless,” an open-world puzzle game which, despite my efforts, never excited my taste buds.
‘The Pathless’: Less than the sum of its parts|Christopher Byrd|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
Outposts budded in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Geneva, and various other burgs, including, yes, Amsterdam.
The Life and Art of Radical Provocateur—and Commune Leader—Otto Muehl|Anthony Haden-Guest|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Behold the day, behold it is come: destruction is gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
And as spring passed and the summer came on, the little girl budded and opened like a rose.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.
This I did as the almonds pushed forth their pink, and the plane-trees budded, and the building birds sang loudly.
In Accordance with the Evidence|Oliver Onions
She flung her arm about him and led him to a seat under the budded cherry tree.
Patchwork|Anna Balmer Myers
Thy doom advanceth: The rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
The Prophet Ezekiel|Arno C. Gaebelein

British Dictionary definitions for bud (1 of 2)

bud¹

/ (bʌd) /

noun

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

a partially opened flower
(in combination)rosebud

any small budlike outgrowthtaste buds

something small or immature

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

a slang word for marijuana

in bud at the stage of producing buds

nip in the bud to put an end to (an idea, movement, etc) in its initial stages

verb buds, budding or budded

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

(intr) to begin to develop or grow

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

Word Origin for bud

C14 budde, of Germanic origin; compare Icelandic budda purse, Dutch buidel

British Dictionary definitions for bud (2 of 2)

bud²

/ (bʌd) /

noun

informal, mainly US short for buddy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bud

bud

[ bŭd ]

Noun

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.♦ Terminal buds occur at the end of a stem, twig, or branch.♦ 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).♦ 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.

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

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

Verb

To form or produce a bud or buds.

Other Idioms and Phrases with bud

bud

see nip in the bud.

bud

Idioms about bud

Origin of bud

OTHER WORDS FROM bud

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bud

Other definitions for bud (2 of 3)

Origin of bud

Other definitions for bud (3 of 3)

or Budd

Words related to bud

How to use bud in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bud (1 of 2)

Word Origin for bud

British Dictionary definitions for bud (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for bud

Other Idioms and Phrases with bud