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flourishing

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flourishing


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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  and  enlarge,  as  a  healthy 
  growing  plant;  a  thrive. 
 
  A  tree  thrives  and  flourishes  in  a  kindly  .  .  . 
  soil.  --Bp.  Horne. 
 
  2.  To  be  prosperous;  to  increase  in  wealth,  honor,  comfort, 
  happiness,  or  whatever  is  desirable;  to  thrive;  to  be 
  prominent  and  influental;  specifically,  of  authors, 
  painters,  etc.,  to  be  in  a  state  of  activity  or 
  production. 
 
  When  all  the  workers  of  iniquity  do  flourish.  --Ps. 
  xcii  7 
 
  Bad  men  as  frequently  prosper  and  flourish,  and  that 
  by  the  means  of  their  wickedness.  --Nelson. 
 
  We  say  Of  those  that  held  their  heads  above  the 
  crowd,  They  flourished  then  or  then.  --Tennyson. 
 
  3.  To  use  florid  language;  to  indulge  in  rhetorical  figures 
  and  lofty  expressions;  to  be  flowery. 
 
  They  dilate  .  .  .  and  flourish  long  on  little 
  incidents.  --J.  Watts. 
 
  4.  To  make  bold  and  sweeping,  fanciful,  or  wanton  movements, 
  by  way  of  ornament,  parade,  bravado,  etc.;  to  play  with 
  fantastic  and  irregular  motion. 
 
  Impetuous  spread  The  stream,  and  smoking  flourished 
  o'er  his  head.  --Pope. 
 
  5.  To  make  ornamental  strokes  with  the  pen;  to  write 
  graceful,  decorative  figures. 
 
  6.  To  execute  an  irregular  or  fanciful  strain  of  music,  by 
  way  of  ornament  or  prelude. 
 
  Why  do  the  emperor's  trumpets  flourish  thus?  --Shak. 
 
  7.  To  boast;  to  vaunt;  to  brag.  --Pope. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  flourishing 
  adj  1:  having  or  showing  vigorous  vegetal  or  animal  life; 
  "flourishing  crops";  "flourishing  chicks";  "a  growing 
  boy";  "fast-growing  weeds";  "a  thriving  deer 
  population"  [syn:  {growing},  {thriving}] 
  2:  very  lively  and  profitable;  "flourishing  businesses";  "a 
  palmy  time  for  stockbrokers";  "a  prosperous  new  business"; 
  "doing  a  roaring  trade";  "a  thriving  tourist  center";  "did 
  a  thriving  business  in  orchids"  [syn:  {booming},  {palmy}, 
  {prospering},  {prosperous},  {roaring},  {thriving}] 




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