means To begin to grow, putting forth shoots or buds — or the young shoot itself that emerges from a seed or plant.

from From Old English sprūtan, 'to sprout,' rooted in a Germanic family of growth-words (a cousin of Dutch spruiten and German sprießen) that all carry the sense of bursting or springing forth. The same ancient root pushes up through 'spray,' 'sprig,' and 'spurt' — a whole cluster of English words for things that shoot out suddenly. And yes, the Brussels sprout is named for the city; the tiny cabbage's earliest cultivation is associated with that region.