Burgeon

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈbɜː.d​͡ʒən/
• US IPA: /ˈbɝː.d​͡ʒən/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)dÊ’É™n

Origin

From Middle English burjon, burioun ("shoot, bud"), from Anglo-Norman burjun, burgeon, burgon (compare Old French burjon "a bud"), from Old Frankish *burjo ("sprout, offshoot, descendant"), from Proto-Germanic *burjô ("sprout, descendant, offshoot"), from Proto-Germanic *beraną ("to carry, bear"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-, *bʰrē- ("to bear"). Akin to Old High German burjan ("to push up, raise"), Old English byrian ("to come up, occur"), Old English byre ("child, son, descendant"). More at bear.

Alternate etymology derives Old French burjon ("bud") from Vulgar Latin *burrionem, accusative of *burrio, from Late Latin burra ("wool, fluff") (presumably from the down covering certain buds).

Full definition of burgeon

Noun

1. (obsolete) bud, sprout, shoot

Verb

1. (intransitive) To grow or expand.Gradually, the town burgeoned into a thriving city.
2. (intransitive) To swell to the point of bursting.
3. (intransitive, archaic) Of plants, to bloom, bud.

Synonyms

• (grow or expand) blossom, expand, grow, sprout
• (bloom, bud) blossom, bud, green, sprout