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burgeon

[ bur-juhn ]
/ ˈbɜr dʒən /
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See synonyms for: burgeon / burgeoning on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object)
to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.
to be brimming or filled to bursting; abound (usually followed by with): All the new students are burgeoning with energy and potential. The kitchen drawers were burgeoning with tea towels.
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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Also bour·geon .

Origin of burgeon

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun 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 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to burgeon

prosper, snowball, sprout, blossom, bud, expand, flower, grow, increase, mushroom, thrive

How to use burgeon in a sentence

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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