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bourgeon

 - 5 dictionary results

bour⋅geon

  [bur-juhn]
Use bourgeon in a Sentence
–noun, verb (used without object), verb (used with object)
burgeon.

bur⋅geon

  [bur-juhn]
–verb (used without object)
1. to grow or develop quickly; flourish: The town burgeoned into a city. He burgeoned into a fine actor.
2. to begin to grow, as a bud; put forth buds, shoots, etc., as a plant (often fol. by out, forth).
–verb (used with object)
3. to put forth, as buds.
–noun
4. a bud; sprout.
Also, bourgeon.

Origin:
1275–1325; (n.) ME burjon, burion; shoot, bud < AF burjun, burg(e)on; OF burjon < VL *burriōne(m), acc. of *burriō, deriv. of LL burra wool, fluff (cf. bourrée, bureau ), presumably from the down covering certain buds; (v.) ME burg(e)onen, borgen < AF, OF, deriv. of the n.

Synonyms:
1. 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 Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To bourgeon
bour·geon   (bûr'jən)   
v.  Variant of burgeon.
bur·geon also bour·geon   (bûr'jən)   
intr.v.   bur·geoned also bour·geoned, bur·geon·ing also bour·geon·ing, bur·geons also bour·geons

    1. To put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout.

    2. To begin to grow or blossom.

  2. To grow or develop rapidly.


[Middle English burgeonen, from Old French borjoner, from burjon, a bud, from Vulgar Latin *burriō, burriōn-, from Late Latin burra, a shaggy garment.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

burgeon 
c.1325, from O.Fr. burjoner "to bud, sprout," from burjon "a bud," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Gmc.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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