bud

/bəd/

/bəd/

Other forms: buds; budding; budded

The young part of a plant that's almost ready to flower or unfurl new leaves is called the bud. As a verb, bud also means to grow or develop.

You will see the word bud most often in reference to plants, but it is also used metaphorically to refer to something that is still maturing: a "budding career," for instance, or a "budding romance." Scientists use bud to indicate a new formation of growth or something that splits apart to form a duplicate of itself, like a cell.

Definitions of bud

1. noun

   a partially opened flower
   types:

   rosebud

   the bud of a rose

   type of:

   bloom, blossom, flower

   reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful parts
2. noun

   a swelling on a plant stem consisting of overlapping immature leaves or petals
   types:

   leaf bud

   a bud from which leaves (but not flowers) develop

   flower bud

   a bud from which only a flower or flowers develop

   mixed bud

   a bud yielding both leaves and flowers

   clove

   aromatic flower bud of a clove tree; yields a spice

   type of:

   sprout

   any new growth of a plant such as a new branch or a bud
3. verb

   develop buds
   “The hibiscus is budding!”

   type of:

   develop

   grow, progress, unfold, or evolve through a process of evolution, natural growth, differentiation, or a conducive environment
4. verb

   start to grow or develop
   “a budding friendship”

   type of:

   begin, start

   have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense