burgeon
[ bur-juhn ]
/ ˈbɜr dʒən /
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verb (used without object)
to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.
to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often followed by out, forth).
verb (used with object)
to put forth, as buds.
noun
a bud; sprout.
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Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Also bour·geon .
Origin of burgeon
First recorded in 1275–1325; (noun) Middle English burjon, burion “shoot, bud,” from Anglo-French burjun, burg(e)on; Old French burjon, from unattested Vulgar Latin burriōne(m), accusative of unattested burriō, derivative of Late Latin burra “wool, fluff“ (cf. bourrée, bureau), presumably from the down covering certain buds; (verb) Middle English burg(e)onen, borgen, from Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the noun
usage note for burgeon
The two senses of burgeon, “to bud” ( The maples are burgeoning ) and “to grow or flourish” ( The suburbs around the city have been burgeoning under the impact of commercial growth ), date from the 14th century. Today the sense “to grow or flourish” is the more common. Occasionally, objections are raised to the use of this sense, perhaps because of its popularity in journalistic writing.
Words nearby burgeon
burg, burgage, Burgas, burgee, Burgenland, burgeon, burgeoning, burger, burgess, Burgess Shale, burgh
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for burgeon
British Dictionary definitions for burgeon
burgeon
bourgeon
/ (ˈbɜːdʒən) /
verb
(often foll by forth or out) (of a plant) to sprout (buds)
(intr ; often foll by forth or out) to develop or grow rapidly; flourish
noun
a bud of a plant
Word Origin for burgeon
C13: from Old French burjon, perhaps ultimately from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth; from the downiness of certain buds
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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