bud

1
[ buhd ]
See synonyms for bud on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Botany.

    • a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage (leaf bud ), the rudimentary inflorescence (flower bud ), or both (mixed bud ).

    • an undeveloped or rudimentary stem or branch of a plant.

  2. Zoology. (in certain animals of low organization) a prominence that develops into a new individual, sometimes permanently attached to the parent and sometimes becoming detached; gemmule.

  1. Mycology. a small, rounded outgrowth produced from a fungus spore or cell by a process of asexual reproduction, eventually separating from the parent cell as a new individual: commonly produced by most yeast and a few other fungi.

  2. Anatomy. any small rounded part.

  3. an immature or undeveloped person or thing.

  4. Slang. marijuana, especially potent marijuana from the buds, or flowering tops, of the hemp plant.

verb (used without object),bud·ded, bud·ding.
  1. to put forth or produce buds.

  2. to begin to develop.

  1. to be in an early stage of development.

verb (used with object),bud·ded, bud·ding.
  1. to cause to bud.

  2. Horticulture. to graft by inserting a single bud into the stock.

Idioms about bud

  1. in the bud, in an immature or undeveloped state: a Shakespeare in the bud. : Also in bud.

  2. nip in the bud, to stop (something) in the beginning of its development: The rebellion was nipped in the bud.

Origin of bud

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English budde, bodde “bud, spray, pod”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle Dutch botte “bud,” or Old French bout “tip, end”

Other words from bud

  • budder, noun
  • budless, adjective
  • budlike, adjective
  • non·bud·ding, adjective, noun

Words that may be confused with bud

Words Nearby bud

Other definitions for bud (2 of 3)

bud2
[ buhd ]

noun
  1. brother; buddy (used in informal address, as to one's brother or to a man or boy whose name is not known to the speaker).

Origin of bud

2
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; back formation from buddy

Other definitions for Bud (3 of 3)

Bud

or Budd

[ buhd ]

noun
  1. a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bud in a sentence

  • By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters.

  • When they shall rush in unto Jacob, Israel shall blossom and bud, and they shall fill the face of the world with seed.

  • He had seen Mildred creep from babyhood into childhood, and bud from girlhood to womanhood.

    The Fifth String   | John Philip Sousa
  • It was not until the third trip that bud thought her beautiful, and was secretly glad that he had not kissed that San Jose girl.

    Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
  • But bud happened to be a simple-souled fellow, and there was something about Marie—He didn't know what it was.

    Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for bud (1 of 2)

bud1

/ (bʌd) /


noun
  1. a swelling on a plant stem consisting of overlapping immature leaves or petals

    • a partially opened flower

    • (in combination): rosebud

  1. any small budlike outgrowth: taste buds

  2. something small or immature

  3. an asexually produced outgrowth in simple organisms, such as yeasts, and the hydra that develops into a new individual

  4. a slang word for marijuana

  5. in bud at the stage of producing buds

  6. nip in the bud to put an end to (an idea, movement, etc) in its initial stages

verbbuds, budding or budded
  1. (intr) (of plants and some animals) to produce buds

  2. (intr) to begin to develop or grow

  1. (tr) horticulture to graft (a bud) from one plant onto another, usually by insertion under the bark

Origin of bud

1
C14 budde, of Germanic origin; compare Icelandic budda purse, Dutch buidel

British Dictionary definitions for bud (2 of 2)

bud2

/ (bʌd) /


noun
  1. informal, mainly US short for buddy

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

Scientific definitions for bud

bud

[ bŭd ]


Noun
  1. A small swelling on a branch or stem, containing an undeveloped shoot, leaf, or flower. Some species have mixed buds containing two of these structures, or even all three.Terminal buds occur at the end of a stem, twig, or branch.Axillary buds, also known as lateral buds, occur in the axils of leaves (in the upper angle of where the leaf grows from the stem).Accessory buds often occur clustered around terminal buds or above and on either side of axillary buds. Accessory buds are usually smaller than terminal and axillary buds.

  2. A small rounded outgrowth on an asexually reproducing organism, such as a yeast or hydra, that is capable of developing into a new individual. See more at budding.

  1. A tiny part or structure, such as a taste bud, that is shaped like a plant bud.

Verb
  1. To form or produce a bud or buds.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with bud

bud

see nip in the bud.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.