flourish

flourish
I. verb Etymology: Middle English florisshen, from Anglo-French fluriss-, stem of flurir, florir, from Vulgar Latin *florire, alteration of Latin florēre, from flor-, flos flower Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to grow luxuriantly ; thrive 2. a. to achieve success ; prosper <
a flourishing business
>
b. to be in a state of activity or production <
flourished around 1850
>
c. to reach a height of development or influence 3. to make bold and sweeping gestures transitive verb to wield with dramatic gestures ; brandish Synonyms: see swingflourisher nounflourishingly adverb II. noun Date: circa 1552 1. an act or instance of brandishing or waving 2. a. a florid bit of speech or writing <
rhetorical flourishes
>
b. an ornamental stroke in writing or printing c. a decorative or finishing detail <
a house with clever little flourishes
>
3. fanfare 4. a. a period of thriving b. a luxuriant growth or profusion <
a flourish of white hair
>
<
a springtime flourish of color
>
5. showiness in the doing of something <
opened the door with a flourish
>
6. a sudden burst <
a flourish of activity
>

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Flourish — Flour ish, n.; pl. {Flourishes}. 1. A flourishing condition; prosperity; vigor. [Archaic] [1913 Webster] The Roman monarchy, in her highest flourish, never had the like. Howell. [1913 Webster] 2. Decoration; ornament; beauty. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Flourish — Flour ish, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Flourished}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Flourishing}.] [OE. florisshen, flurisshen, OF. flurir, F. fleurir, fr. L. florere to bloom, fr. flos, floris, flower. See {Flower}, and { ish}.] 1. To grow luxuriantly; to increase… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • flourish — (v.) c.1300, to blossom, grow, from O.Fr. floriss , stem of florir blossom, flower, bloom, flourish, from L. florere to bloom, blossom, flower, figuratively to flourish, be prosperous, from flos a flower (see FLORA (Cf. flora)). Metaphoric sense… …   Etymology dictionary

  • flourish — [n] curlicue, decoration curl, embellishment, furbelow, garnish, ornamentation, plume, quirk, spiral, sweep, twist; concepts 259,284 flourish [v1] grow, prosper amplify, arrive, augment, batten, bear fruit, be on top of heap*, bloom, blossom,… …   New thesaurus

  • Flourish — Flour ish, v. t. 1. To adorn with flowers orbeautiful figures, either natural or artificial; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish. [Obs.] Fenton. [1913 Webster] 2. To embellish with the flowers of diction; to adorn with rhetorical… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • flourish — flour‧ish [ˈflʌrɪʆ ǁ ˈflɜːr ] verb [intransitive] if a business or industry flourishes, it is very successful and makes a profit: • The economy is booming and many small businesses are flourishing. * * * flourish UK US /ˈflʌrɪʃ/ verb [I] ► to be… …   Financial and business terms

  • flourish — index brandish, display, flaunt, gain, germinate, increase, pretense (ostentation), proliferate …   Law dictionary

  • flourish — vb 1 *succeed, prosper, thrive Analogous words: bloom, flower, *blossom, blow: increase, augment, multiply: *expand, amplify Antonyms: languish Contrasted words: *wither, shrivel: shrink, Contract: ebb, * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • flourish — ► VERB 1) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way. 2) be working or at the height of one s career during a specified period. 3) wave about dramatically. ► NOUN 1) a bold or extravagant gesture or action. 2) an ornamental flowing curve in… …   English terms dictionary

  • flourish — [flʉr′ish] vi. [ME florishen < extended stem of OFr florir, to blossom < LL * florire < L florere < flos, FLOWER] 1. Obs. to blossom 2. to grow vigorously; succeed; thrive; prosper 3. to be at the peak of development, activity,… …   English World dictionary

  • flourish — 01. Business has [flourished] since we started advertising on the Internet. 02. Victoria is quickly becoming a [flourishing] center for bicycle tourism. 03. Our roses are really [flourishing] in this nice weather. 04. The actress threw her scarf… …   Grammatical examples in English

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