grow

name

1. A surname.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English growen, from Old English grōwan (“to grow, increase, flourish, germinate”), from Proto-West Germanic *grōan, from Proto-Germanic *grōaną (“to grow, grow green”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow, become green”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch groeien (“to grow”), German Low German grojen (“to green; thrive; take hold; flourish”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish gro (“to grow”), Faroese grógva (“to grow”), Icelandic gróa (“to grow”); also Latin grāmen (“grass, turf; herb, plant”), herba (“grass, herbage; weeds; plant”), Ukrainian гря́ний (hrjányj, “green”). Related to growth, grass, green.

1. To become larger, to increase in magnitude.

   “Children grow quickly.”

   “[...] but the dangers to trespassers, especially children, are growing, and a vigorous educational programme is urged.”

2. To undergo growth; to be present (somewhere)

   “Apples now grow all over the world.”

3. To appear or sprout.

   “Leaf buds grew on the trees with the advance of spring.”

   “A long tail began to grow from his backside.”

4. To develop, to mature.

   “As I grew throughout adolescence, I came to appreciate many things about human nature.”

5. To cause or allow something to become bigger, especially to cultivate plants.

   “He grows peppers and squash each summer in his garden.”

   “Have you ever grown your hair before?”

6. To assume a condition or quality over time.

   “Near-synonyms: become, get, go, turn, come, fall, wax”

   “The boy grew wise as he matured.”

7. To become attached or fixed; to adhere.

   “Our knees shall kneel till to the ground they grow.”