grow
grow definition
grow (grō)
intransitive verb grew, grown, growing grow′·ing
- to come into being or be produced naturally; spring up; sprout
- to exist as living vegetation; thrive cactus grows in sand
- to increase in size and develop toward maturity, as a plant or animal does by assimilating food
- to increase in size, quantity, or degree, or in some specified manner to grow in wisdom
- to come to be; become to grow weary
- to become attached or united by growth
Etymology: ME growen < OE growan, akin to ON grōa, OHG gruoen < IE base *ghrō-, to grow, turn green > green, grass
transitive verb
- to cause to grow; raise; cultivate
- to cause to develop or flourish to grow a business
- to cover with a growth: used in the passive a yard grown over with weeds
- to allow to grow to grow a beard
- to cause to be or to exist; develop
Related Forms:
- grower grow′er noun
grow Idioms
grow into
- to develop so as to be a boy grows into a man
- to grow or develop so as to fit into or be suited to
grow on
Informal to have a gradually increasing effect on; come gradually to seem more important, dear, or admirable to
grow out of
- to develop from
- to outgrow
grow up
- to reach maturity; become adult or attain full growth
- to come to be; develop; arise
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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