bud
n. countablen. a small part that grows on a plant and later turns into a leaf or a flower. In casual conversation, it is also a friendly name for a male friend.
n. a small lateral or terminal protuberance on the stem of a plant that may develop into a flower, leaf, or shoot. Also functions as a colloquial term of address for a male peer.
The rose bushes are starting to show their first buds.
Gardeners should wait for the first buds to appear before they start pruning the shrubs for the season.
The premature warmth of early March coaxed the cherry blossoms into bud, leaving them vulnerable to the sudden frost that followed a week later.
From bud.
From Budweiser.
When used as a term of address, it is almost exclusively applied to males and carries a casual, familiar register.