nip in the bud

bud

1 [buhd] noun, verb, bud·ded, bud·ding.
noun
1.
Botany.
a.
a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage (leaf bud) the rudimentary inflorescence (flower bud) or both (mixed bud)
b.
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; gemma.
3.
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 yeast and a few other fungi.
4.
Anatomy. any small rounded part.
5.
an immature or undeveloped person or thing.
verb (used without object)
6.
to put forth or produce buds.
7.
to begin to develop.
8.
to be in an early stage of development.
00:10
Nip in the bud is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used with object)
9.
to cause to bud.
10.
Horticulture. to graft by inserting a single bud into the stock.
Idioms
11.
in the bud, in an immature or undeveloped state: a Shakespeare in the bud. Also, in bud.
12.
nip in the bud, to stop (something) in the beginning of its development: The rebellion was nipped in the bud.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English budde bud, spray, pod; akin to German Hagebutte hip, Old Norse budda purse, dialectal Swedish bodd head, Dutch buidel bag, purse, Middle Low German buddich swollen

Related forms
bud·der, noun
bud·less, adjective
bud·like, adjective
non·bud·ding, adjective, noun

Can be confused: budder, butter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
bud1 (bʌd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a swelling on a plant stem consisting of overlapping immature leaves or petals
2.  a.  a partially opened flower
 b.  (in combination): rosebud
3.  any small budlike outgrowth: taste buds
4.  something small or immature
5.  an asexually produced outgrowth in simple organisms, such as yeasts, and the hydra that develops into a new individual
6.  a slang word for marijuana
7.  in bud at the stage of producing buds
8.  nip in the bud to put an end to (an idea, movement, etc) in its initial stages
 
—vb , buds, budding, budded
9.  (intr) (of plants and some animals) to produce buds
10.  (intr) to begin to develop or grow
11.  (tr) horticulture to graft (a bud) from one plant onto another, usually by insertion under the bark
 
[C14 budde, of Germanic origin; compare Icelandic budda purse, Dutch buidel]

bud2 (bʌd) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
informal chiefly (US) short for buddy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bud
late 14c., budde, origin unknown, perhaps from O.Fr. boter "push forward, thrust," itself a Germanic word (cf. Du. bot "bud," O.S. budil "bag, purse," Ger. Beutel), or from O.E. budd "beetle." The verb is c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

bud (bŭd)
n.

  1. A small, rounded anatomical structure or organic part, such as a taste bud.

  2. An asexual reproductive structure, as in yeast or a hydra, that consists of an outgrowth capable of developing into a new individual.

v. bud·ded, bud·ding, buds

  1. To put forth or cause to put forth buds.

  2. To reproduce asexually by forming a bud.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
bud   (bŭd)  Pronunciation Key 
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.

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


Verb   To form or produce a bud or buds.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

bud definition

[bəd]
  1. n.
    a Budweiser beer; any beer. (See also budhead.) : How 'bout one of them buds in a green bottle?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
Bud
Budweiser [beer]
BUD
Ferihegy Airport (Budapest, Hungary)
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

nip in the bud

Halt something at an early stage, or thoroughly check something. For example, By arresting all the leaders, they nipped the rebellion in the bud. This metaphoric expression, alluding to a spring frost that kills flower buds, was first recorded in a Beaumont and Fletcher play of 1606-1607.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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