Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition
SPROUT
I. verb
Etymology: Middle English spruten, from Old English -sprūtan; akin to Old High German spriozan to sprout, Lithuanian sprausti to squeeze, thrust
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb to grow, spring up, or come forth as or as if a sprout, to send out new growth, transitive verb to send forth or up ; cause to develop ; grow ,
II. noun
Date: 13th century
1. shoot 1a, b. plural brussels sprout 2, edible sprouts especially from recently germinated seeds (as of alfalfa or mung beans), something resembling a sprout: as, a young person, scion 2