sprouting
sprouting — verb
- sproutingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sproutings3rd person singular
- sproutinging-ing form
- sproutingedpast simple
1. for a plant or seed to begin putting out fresh leaves, stems, or roots; also use
for a plant or seed to begin putting out fresh leaves, stems, or roots; also used when hair or similar growth first appears on skin
Amara's bean seeds started sprouting after three days of steady rain.
intransitive: seeds + start sprouting
The old oak was sprouting bright green leaves all along its lower branches.
transitive: sprouting + [leaves]
Kwame looked in the mirror and saw fine hairs sprouting above his upper lip.
If you leave garlic too long in the cupboard, it will sprout pale green shoots.
Nadia watched tiny roots sprout from the cutting she had placed in water.
- wither
to dry up and die, the opposite of putting out fresh growth
文法句型
sprout + [leaves/shoots/hair]
[plant/seed/hair] + sprout
用法筆記
Transitive when naming what is produced (leaves, shoots, hair); intransitive when the seed or plant itself is the subject doing the growing.
常見錯誤
2. for many buildings, businesses, or similar things to appear quickly and in notic
for many buildings, businesses, or similar things to appear quickly and in noticeable numbers across a place
After the new station opened, coffee shops sprouted up all along the high street.
sprouted + up for sudden appearance
Within a year, small tech firms were sprouting across the old warehouse district.
High-rise apartment blocks have sprouted along the river in the past five years.
Tents sprouted all over the park as families arrived for the weekend music festival.
Rumours about the merger began sprouting in every department of the company.
- mushroom
also means to appear and spread rapidly; implies even faster, more dramatic growth
- spring up
the everyday phrasal verb that 'sprout up' echoes; slightly more common in speech
- proliferate
formal; emphasises rapid increase in number more than the suddenness of appearing
- disappear
to vanish; the opposite of suddenly coming into view
文法句型
[things] + sprout + up
用法筆記
Often used with the particle 'up,' but can also appear with location phrases ('sprout across,' 'sprout along'). The subject is typically inanimate — buildings, businesses, or rumours appearing in large numbers at once.
常見錯誤
sprouting — noun
1. a small round green vegetable that grows in tight clusters along a thick stalk;
a small round green vegetable that grows in tight clusters along a thick stalk; one of many little cabbage-like buds
Clara roasted the sprouts with olive oil and garlic until they turned golden brown.
plural: sprouts for the cooked vegetable
Owen refused to eat his Brussels sprouts even after his mother offered him dessert.
The market stall sold sprouts still attached to their long thick stalk.
For Christmas dinner, Ingrid always cooks sprouts with chestnuts and a knob of butter.
Dev stir-fried the shredded sprouts with ginger and soy sauce for a quick side dish.
用法筆記
Usually plural ('sprouts') when talking about the food. The full name is 'Brussels sprout,' but in everyday speech people often just say 'sprout' when the context is clear.
常見錯誤
2. the tiny first shoot that pushes out of a seed or bud when it starts growing
the tiny first shoot that pushes out of a seed or bud when it starts growing
Elena picked a bean sprout from the jar and added it to her sandwich.
countable: a + sprout for individual shoot
The first green sprouts appeared in the garden just five days after planting.
Mateo showed the class a lentil sprout with its tiny root and two pale leaves.
These sunflower sprouts are ready to eat when they reach about five centimetres tall.
Zainab examined the seed tray and found a single white sprout pushing through the soil.