sprout

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 [V] (of plants, vegetables, etc.) to produce new leaves or BUDS: The seeds will sprout in a few days. * new leaves sprouting from the trees 2 to appear; to develop sth, especially in large numbers: [V] Hundreds of mushrooms had sprouted up overnight. * [VN] The town has sprouted shopping malls, discos and nightclubs in recent years. 3 to start to grow sth; to start to grow on sb/sth: [VN] Tim has sprouted a beard since we last saw him. * I wished I could just sprout wings and fly away. * [V] Hair sprouted from his chest. noun 1 = BRUSSELSSPROUT 2 a new part growing on a plant