flourish

WOTD - 4 May 2010    

English

Etymology

From Old English florisshen, flurisshen, and from Old French floriss-, stem of some conjugated forms of florir, (French fleurir);, from Vulgar Latin florire, from Latin flōreō (“I bloom”) (with influence from flōrēscō), from flōs (“flower”). See flower + -ish.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈflʌɹ.ɪʃ/
• (US) IPA: /ˈflɝ.ɪʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

flourish (third-person singular simple present flourishes, present participle flourishing, simple past and past participle flourished)

1. (intransitive) To thrive or grow well.
   • The barley flourished in the warm weather.
2. (intransitive) To prosper or fare well.
   • The town flourished with the coming of the railway.
   • The cooperation flourished as the customers rushed in the business.
3. (intransitive) To be in a period of greatest influence.
   • His writing flourished before the war.
4. (transitive) To make bold, sweeping movements with.
   • They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:prosper

Translations

to thrive or grow well

Armenian: ծաղկել (hy) (çaġkel) Chinese: Mandarin: 繁榮 (cmn), 繁荣 (cmn) (fánróng) Dutch: floreren, bloeien Esperanto: disflori (eo) Finnish: kukoistaa (fi)

French: fleurir (fr) German: gedeihen (de), blühen (de) Icelandic: dafna (is), blómstra (is) Japanese: 繁茂する (ja) (はんもする, hanmo-suru), 繁栄する (ja) (はんえいする, han'ei suru) Russian: процветать (ru) (procvetát') Swedish: blomstra

to prosper or fare well

Armenian: ծաղկել (hy) (çaġkel) Dutch: floreren, opbloeien Esperanto: disflori (eo) French: fleurir (fr)

German: aufblühen (de) Icelandic: dafna (is), blómstra (is) Japanese: 栄える (ja) (さかえる, sakaeru) Spanish: prosperar (es)

to be in a period of greatest influence

Dutch: floreren Esperanto: flori (eo)

French: fleurir (fr) German: aufblühen, eine Blütezeit haben

to make bold, sweeping movements

Dutch: zwaaien (nl), wuiven (nl) French: fleurir (fr)

Icelandic: sveifla Middle English: floryshe

Noun

flourish (plural flourishes)

1. A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.
   • With many flourishes of the captured banner, they marched down the avenue.
2. An ornamentation.
   • His signature ended with a flourish.
3. (music) A ceremonious passage such as a fanfare.
   • The trumpets blew a flourish as they entered the church.
4. (architecture) An unnecessary, decorative embellishment, on a building.

Translations

dramatic gesture

Dutch: zwaai c., gezwaai n. French: gesticulation (fr) Japanese: 見せびらかし(みせびらかし, misebirakashi)

Middle English: floryshe Spanish: ademanes (es)

ornamentation

Dutch: versiering (nl) f., ornament (nl) n. French: fioriture (fr) German: Schnörkel (de) m., Verzierung (de) f.

Italian: svolazzo (it) m. Spanish: floritura (es) f., floreo (es)

ceremonious passage

Esperanto: fanfaro (eo) French: morceau de bravoure (fr)

German: Fanfare (de) f.

References

• flourish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913