grow

[grəʊ]

verb (past grew gru:; past participle grown grəʊn)

1》 (of a living thing) undergo natural development by increasing in size and changing physically.

    ↘(grow up) progress to maturity or adulthood.

    ↘(grow out of or into) become too large (or large enough) to wear.

2》 come into existence and develop.

    ↘(with reference to a plant) germinate or cause to germinate and develop.

3》 become larger or greater over time; increase.

    ↘develop or expand (an enterprise or business).

    ↘become increasingly: we grew braver.

4》 (grow on) become gradually more appealing to.

Phrases

grow on trees [usu. with negative] informal be plentiful or easily obtained.

Derivatives

growable adjective

grower noun

Origin

OE grōwan, of Gmc origin; related to grass and green.

Usage

The use of grow as a transitive verb has long been standard in contexts which refer to growing one's hair and plants (more land was needed to grow crops). More recently, however, it has extended its transitive sense and become popular in business jargon: entrepreneurs who are struggling to grow their businesses. This is still a relatively new usage, and it is perhaps better to avoid it in formal contexts.