sprouted; sprouting; sprouts
1
: to grow, spring up, or come forth as or as if a sprout
seeds sprouting in the spring
2
: to send out new growth
3
: to appear suddenly and in large numbers
—often used with up
Restaurants sprouted up all over the city.
: to send forth or up : cause to develop : grow
sprouting hairs
1
a
: shoot sense 1a
especially
: a young shoot (as from a seed or root)
b
sprouts plural
(1)
chiefly British
: brussels sprout sense 2
(2)
: edible sprouts especially from recently germinated seeds (as of alfalfa or mung beans)
2
Cite this Entry
“Sprout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sprout. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.
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