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nip in the bud

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bud

1  [buhd] noun, verb, bud⋅ded, bud⋅ding.
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–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.
–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; ME budde bud, spray, pod; akin to G Hagebutte hip, ON budda purse, dial. Sw bodd head, D buidel bag, purse, MLG buddich swollen

Related forms:
budder, noun
budless, adjective
budlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Slang Dictionary
bud [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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Word Origin & History

bud 
1398, bodde, origin unknown, perhaps from O.Fr. boter "push forward, thrust," itself a Gmc. word (cf. Du. bot "bud," O.S. budil "bag, purse," Ger. Beutel), or from O.E. budd "beetle."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 2bud
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: bud·ded;bud·ding
: to reproduce asexually especially by thepinching off of a small part of the parent
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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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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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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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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