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Intermediate Dictionary        

bud

 
 
pronunciation:
buhd
parts of speech:
noun, verb
phrases:
nip in the bud
features:
Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: a swelling on a plant that can grow into new parts, such as leaves or a flower.
It was early spring, and buds were beginning to appear on the bushes and trees.
similar words:
germ, offshoot, shoot, sprout
definition 2: a flower that is just beginning to open or will open soon.
The pretty bouquet contained buds of pink roses.
 
similar words:
rosebud
definition 3: a small, round part, such as a taste bud.
similar words:
taste bud
phrase: nip in the bud
 
part of speech: verb
inflections: buds, budding, budded
definition: to grow or form buds.
The rose bush is budding!
similar words:
bloom, flower, germinate, sprout
derivations: budless (adj.), budlike (adj.)
Word History
Bud is from an early English word that means "to swell."
Word Explorer
See
  flower, plant, tree