burgeon
or bour·geon
[bur-juh n]
- 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).
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- to put forth, as buds.
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- a bud; sprout.
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Origin of burgeon
1275–1325; (noun) Middle English burjon, burion shoot, bud < Anglo-French burjun, burg(e)on; Old French burjon < Vulgar Latin *burriōne(m), accusative of *burriō, derivative of Late Latin burra wool, fluff (cf. bourrée, bureau), presumably from the down covering certain buds; (v.) Middle English burg(e)onen, borgen < Anglo-French, Old French, derivative of the noun
Synonyms
See more synonyms for burgeon on Thesaurus.com1. bloom, blossom, mushroom, expand.
Usage note
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. 2018
Examples from the Web for burgeoning
Contemporary Examples
Such is her burgeoning popularity Toomey is looking to employ more instructors to lead her highly personalized exercise classes.
For the aficionado or the neophyte, Comics is a useful overview of a richly creative period in a burgeoning art.
The popularity of anime tales featuring man-on-man passion is burgeoning among Japanese women.
But just what is driving such an exciting, burgeoning expansion of hip-hop?
From Public Enemy to Power Broker: Hip-Hop’s the New Global Pop CultureLauren DeLisa Coleman
September 27, 2014
This has led to a burgeoning industry of small businesses, founded and run by women specializing in eco-friendly hygiene products.
Historical Examples
There was a burgeoning within him of strange feelings and unwonted impulses.
White FangJack London
He is also a blooming, blossoming, burgeoning Ass, and he doesn't know it.
The MerryweathersLaura E. Richards
Something inside him was changing, burgeoning in strange and disturbing growth.
Pet FarmRoger Dee
Other factors served to enhance the burgeoning dairy industry.
Frying Pan FarmElizabeth Brown Pryor
She was overcome with shame and with the mystery of her own burgeoning womanhood.
Martin EdenJack London
burgeon
bourgeon
- (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
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- a bud of a plant
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Word Origin
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
Word Origin and History for burgeoning
burgeon
v.
early 14c., "grow, sprout, blossom," from Anglo-French burjuner, Old French borjoner "to bud, sprout," from borjon "a bud, shoot, pimple" (Modern French bourgeon), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Vulgar Latin *burrionem (nominative *burrio), from Late Latin burra "flock of wool," itself of uncertain origin. Some sources (Kitchin, Gamillscheg) say either the French word or the Vulgar Latin one is from Germanic. The English verb is perhaps instead a native development from burjoin (n.) "a bud" (c.1300), from Old French. Related: Burgeoned; burgeoning.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper