sprout
n. countablen. a new part of a plant that is just starting to grow. It can also mean a small, green vegetable that looks like a tiny cabbage.
n. a newly grown shoot or bud of a plant; also refers to the edible bud of the Brussels sprout plant. Often used in the plural when referring to the vegetable.
The seeds are starting to produce a tiny green sprout.
After the heavy spring rains, every branch on the old oak tree was covered in a fresh green sprout.
The chef garnished the dish with a delicate alfalfa sprout to add a crisp texture and a subtle, nutty flavour that complemented the roasted root vegetables.
From Middle English sproute, either from Middle English sprouten (“to sprout”) (see below); or from Middle Dutch sprute or Middle Low German sprûte (“sprout”), all related to Proto-West Germanic *spreutan. Doublet of spruit.
From Middle English sprouten, spruten, from Old English sprūtan, from Proto-West Germanic spreutan, from Proto-Germanic spreutaną.
Commonly used in the plural ('sprouts') when referring to the vegetable or a collection of new growth.