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[buhd] /bʌd/
  1. a small axillary or terminal protuberance on a plant, containing rudimentary foliage (leaf bud) the rudimentary inflorescence (flower bud) or both (mixed bud)
  2. an undeveloped or rudimentary stem or branch of a plant.
Zoology. (in certain animals of low organization) a prominence that develops into a new individual, sometimes permanently attached to the parent and sometimes becoming detached; gemma.
Mycology. a small, rounded outgrowth produced from a fungus spore or cell by a process of asexual reproduction, eventually separating from the parent cell as a new individual: commonly produced by yeast and a few other fungi.
Anatomy. any small rounded part.
an immature or undeveloped person or thing.
verb (used without object), budded, budding.
to put forth or produce buds.
to begin to develop.
to be in an early stage of development.
verb (used with object), budded, budding.
to cause to bud.
Horticulture. to graft by inserting a single bud into the stock.
in the bud, in an immature or undeveloped state:
a Shakespeare in the bud.
Also, in bud.
nip in the bud, to stop (something) in the beginning of its development:
The rebellion was nipped in the bud.
1350-1400; Middle English budde bud, spray, pod; akin to German Hagebutte hip, Old Norse budda purse, dialectal Swedish bodd head, Dutch buidel bag, purse, Middle Low German buddich swollen
Related forms
budder, noun
budless, adjective
budlike, adjective
nonbudding, adjective, noun
Can be confused
budder, butter. Unabridged
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British Dictionary definitions for nip in the bud


a swelling on a plant stem consisting of overlapping immature leaves or petals
  1. a partially opened flower
  2. (in combination) rosebud
any small budlike outgrowth taste buds
something small or immature
an asexually produced outgrowth in simple organisms, such as yeasts, and the hydra that develops into a new individual
a slang word for marijuana
in bud, at the stage of producing buds
nip in the bud, to put an end to (an idea, movement, etc) in its initial stages
verb buds, budding, budded
(intransitive) (of plants and some animals) to produce buds
(intransitive) to begin to develop or grow
(transitive) (horticulture) to graft (a bud) from one plant onto another, usually by insertion under the bark
Word Origin
C14 budde, of Germanic origin; compare Icelandic budda purse, Dutch buidel


(informal, mainly US) short for buddy
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for nip in the bud
late 14c., budde, origin unknown, perhaps from O.Fr. boter "push forward, thrust," itself a Germanic word (cf. Du. bot "bud," O.S. budil "bag, purse," Ger. Beutel), or from O.E. budd "beetle." The verb is c.1400.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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nip in the bud in Medicine

bud (bŭd)

  1. A small, rounded anatomical structure or organic part, such as a taste bud.

  2. An asexual reproductive structure, as in yeast or a hydra, that consists of an outgrowth capable of developing into a new individual.

v. bud·ded, bud·ding, buds
  1. To put forth or cause to put forth buds.

  2. To reproduce asexually by forming a bud.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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nip in the bud in Science
  1. A small swelling on a branch or stem, containing an undeveloped shoot, leaf, or flower. Some species have mixed buds containing two of these structures, or even all three. ◇ Terminal buds occur at the end of a stem, twig, or branch. ◇ Axillary buds, also known as lateral buds, occur in the axils of leaves (in the upper angle of where the leaf grows from the stem). ◇ Accessory buds often occur clustered around terminal buds or above and on either side of axillary buds. Accessory buds are usually smaller than terminal and axillary buds.

  2. A small rounded outgrowth on an asexually reproducing organism, such as a yeast or hydra, that is capable of developing into a new individual. See more at budding.

  3. A tiny part or structure, such as a taste bud, that is shaped like a plant bud.

Verb  To form or produce a bud or buds.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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Slang definitions & phrases for nip in the bud

bud 1

  1. Friend; fellow; guy •Used only in direct address, often with hostile intent: Okay, bud, that'll do (1850s+)
  2. A very close friend; buddy, pal: Just be glad I'm your bud/ She hid out with various buds and in runaway shelters (1930s+)

[fr buddy, a childish pronunciation of brother]

bud 2


Marijuana: There was no pain yet, just numbness, kind of like smoking bud

[1980s+ Teenagers; fr Budda, Buddha sticks, earlier terms for marijuana]

Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Related Abbreviations for nip in the bud


Budweiser [beer]


Ferihegy Airport (Budapest, Hungary)
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Idioms and Phrases with nip in the bud
Halt something at an early stage, or thoroughly check something. For example, By arresting all the leaders, they nipped the rebellion in the bud. This metaphoric expression, alluding to a spring frost that kills flower buds, was first recorded in a Beaumont and Fletcher play of 1606–1607.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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