Sprout \Sprout\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sprouted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sprouting.]

[OE. sprouten, spruten; akin to OFries. spr?ta, AS. spre['o]tan, D. spruiten, G. spriessen, Sw. spruta to squirt, to spout. Cf. Sprit, v. t. & i., Sprit a spar, Spout, v. t., Spurt.]

1. To shoot, as the seed of a plant; to germinate; to push out new shoots; hence, to grow like shoots of plants.

2. To shoot into ramifications. [Obs.]

--Bacon.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Sprout \Sprout\, v. t.

1. To cause to sprout; as, the rain will sprout the seed.

2. To deprive of sprouts; as, to sprout potatoes.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
 

Sprout \Sprout\, n. [Cf. AS. sprote a sprout, sprig; akin to Icel. sproti, G. sprosse. See Sprout, v. i.]

1. The shoot of a plant; a shoot from the seed, from the stump, or from the root or tuber, of a plant or tree; more rarely, a shoot from the stem of a plant, or the end of a branch.

2. pl. Young coleworts; Brussels sprouts. --Johnson.

Brussels sprouts (Bot.) See under Brussels.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)