bud

Definition

A newly sprouted leaf or blossom that has not yet unfolded.

Etymology

From Middle English budde (“bud, seed pod”), from Proto-Germanic *buddǭ (compare Dutch bot (“bud”), German Hagebutte (“hip, rosehip”), regional German Butzen (“seed pod”), Swedish dialect bodd (“head”)), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”).

Example Sentences

• "After a long, cold winter, the trees finally began to produce buds."
• "Among Turks, pills consisting of hemp buds, muscat nuts, saffron, and honey were a popular aphrodisiac."
• "breast buds"