burgeon

WOTD – 24 February 2008    

English

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈbɜː.d​͡ʒən/, X-SAMPA: /"b3:.dZ@n/
• (US) IPA: /ˈbɝː.d​͡ʒən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)dʒən

Etymology

From Middle English burjon, burioun (“shoot, bud”), from Anglo-Norman burjun, burgeon, burgon, from Old French burjon (“bud”), from Vulgar Latin *burrionem, accusative of *burrio, from Late Latin burra (“wool, fluff”) (presumably from the down covering certain buds).

Noun

burgeon (plural burgeons)

1. (obsolete) bud, sprout, shoot

Translations

bud, sprout, shoot

• Swedish: knopp (sv) c

Verb

burgeon (third-person singular simple present burgeons, present participle burgeoning, simple past and past participle burgeoned)

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

Translations

to grow or expand

• Dutch: uitgroeien (nl), opbloeien (nl)
• Finnish: kasvaa (fi)
• Polish: rozkwitać

• Portuguese: desabrochar (pt)
• Spanish: medrar (es)
• Swedish: spira (sv)

to swell to the point of bursting

• Polish: pęcznieć

of plants, to bloom, bud

• Dutch: bloeien (nl)
• French: fleurir (fr)
• Polish: pączkować, rozkwitać

• Spanish: florecer (es)
• Swedish: knoppas, spira