flourish

English
WOTD – 4 May 2010

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English floryschen, from Old French florir (via the arrhizotonic stem floriss-), from Late Latin flōrīre, from Latin flōrēre, from Latin flōrem (“flower”, noun). Corresponds to flower + -ish.

Pronunciation

Verb

flourish (third-person singular simple present flourishes, present participle flourishing, simple past and past participle flourished)

  1. (intransitive) To thrive or grow well.
    The barley flourished in the warm weather.
    • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 1:
      'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.
  2. (intransitive) To prosper or fare well.
    The town flourished with the coming of the railway.
    The cooperation flourished as the customers rushed in the business.
    • 1795, Robert Nelson, A Companion for the Festivals and Fasts of the Church of England:
      Bad men as frequently prosper and flourish, and that by the means of their wickedness.
    • 1792, Anthony à Wood, The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford: In Two Books‎, volume 1, Oxford: John Gutch, →OCLC, page 661:
      One hall called Civil Law Hall or School, flouriſhed about this time (though in its buildings decayed) by the care of the learned and judicious Dr. Will. Warham Principal or Moderator thereof […]
  3. (intransitive) To be in a period of greatest influence.
    His writing flourished before the war.
  4. (transitive) To develop; to make thrive; to expand.
    • a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC, page 4:
      But all that I ſhall ſay in this vvhole Argument, vvill be but like Bottomes of Thred, cloſe vvound vp, vvhich vvith a good Needle (perhaps) may be flouriſhed into large VVorkes.
  5. (transitive) To make bold, sweeping movements with.
    They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.
    The squirrel flourished its fluffy tail about as an alarm signal after its narrow escape from the cat.
  6. (intransitive) To make bold and sweeping, fanciful, or wanton movements, by way of ornament, parade, bravado, etc.; to play with fantastic and irregular motion.
  7. (intransitive) To use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions.
    • 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:
      They dilate […] and flourish long upon little incidents.
  8. (intransitive) To make ornamental strokes with the pen; to write graceful, decorative figures.
  9. (transitive) To adorn with beautiful figures or rhetoric; to ornament with anything showy; to embellish.
  10. (intransitive) To execute an irregular or fanciful strain of music, by way of ornament or prelude.
  11. (intransitive, obsolete) To boast; to vaunt; to brag.

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

flourish (plural flourishes)

  1. A dramatic gesture such as the waving of a flag.
    With many flourishes of the captured banner, they marched down the avenue.
    • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 1, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 1:
      This is my substitute for pistol and ball. With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.
    • 2023 September 3, Phil McNulty, “Declan Rice: The game-changing midfielder Arsenal need for title challenge”, in BBC Sport‎:
      Gabriel Jesus' solo goal - as a stunned United pushed for an equaliser - was a flourish that eased any late nerves.
  2. An ornamentation.
    His signature ended with a flourish.
  3. (music) A ceremonious passage such as a fanfare.
    The trumpets blew a flourish as they entered the church.
    • 1872, Publius Cornelius Tacitus, Percival Frost, The Annals of Tacitus with a Commentary by the Rev. Percival Frost, M.A‎, London: Whittaker & Co.; George Bell, Life of Tacitus:
      [I]f he is a soldier in command, successes will be amplified, and the results of his campaigns announced with a flourish of trumpets.
  4. (architecture) A decorative embellishment on a building.

Translations

References

Anagrams
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