GROW, verb intransitive preterit tense grew; participle passive grown. [Latin cresco.]

1. To enlarge in bulk or stature, by a natural, imperceptible addition of matter, through ducts and secreting organs, as animal and vegetable bodies; to vegetate as plants, or to be augmented by natural process, as animals. Thus, a plant grows from a seed to a shrub or tree, and a human being grows from a fetus to a man.

He causeth the grass to grow for cattle. Psalms 104:14.

2. To be produced by vegetation; as, wheat grows in most parts of the world; rice grows only in warm climates.

3. To increase; to be augmented; to wax; as, a body grows larger by inflation or distension; intemperance is a growing evil.

4. To advance; to improve; to make progress; as, to grow in grace, in knowledge, in piety. The young man is growing in reputation.

5. To advance; to extend. His reputation is growing.

6. To come by degrees; to become; to reach any state; as, he grows more skillful, or more prudent. Let not vice grow to a habit, or into a habit.

7. To come forward; to advance. [Not much used.]

Winter began to grow fast on.

8. To be changed from one state to another; to become; as, to grow pale; to grow poor; to grow rich.

9. To proceed, as from a cause or reason. Lax morals may grow from errors in opinion.

10. To accrue; to come.

Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings. Ezra 4:22.

11. To swell; to increase; as, the wind grew to a tempest.

To grow out of, to issue from; as plants from the soil, or as a branch from the main stem.

These wars have grown out of commercial considerations.

To grow up, to arrive at manhood, or to advance to full stature or maturity.

To grow up,

To grow together, To close and adhere; to become united by growth; as flesh or the bark of a tree severed.

GROW, signifies properly to shoot out, to enlarge; but it is often used to denote a passing from one state to another, and from greater to less.

Marriages grow less frequent.

[To grow less, is an abuse of this word; the phrase should be to become less.]

GROW, verb transitive To produce; to raise; as, a farmer grows large quantities of wheat. [This is a modern abusive use of grow but prevalent in Great Britain, and the British use begins to be imitated in America. Until within a few years, we never heard grow used as a transitive verb in New England, and the ear revolts at the practice.]