outgrowth
|out-growth|
🇺🇸
/ˈaʊtˌɡroʊθ/
🇬🇧
/ˈaʊtˌɡrəʊθ/
something that grows out of something else
Etymology
'outgrowth' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'out' and 'growth', where 'out' comes from Old English 'ūt' meaning 'outward' and 'growth' comes from Old English 'growan' meaning 'to grow' (with the noun sense of 'growth' as the process or result of growing).
'outgrowth' appeared in Middle English in forms such as 'outgrouth' or 'outgrowthe' and gradually regularized into the modern spelling 'outgrowth'.
Initially it referred mainly to a physical or natural protruding growth; over time the word expanded metaphorically to mean a secondary development, offshoot, or by-product of a process or organization.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a physical protrusion or natural growth projecting from a plant, body, or surface.
A small outgrowth had formed on the branch after the injury.
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Noun 2
a secondary development or by-product that arises from a larger process, organization, or activity; an offshoot.
The community center was an outgrowth of the neighborhood volunteer program.
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Noun 3
an unintended or secondary consequence of actions or policies.
Increased traffic was an unfortunate outgrowth of the new shopping complex.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 07:00