flourishes

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.
2. (intransitive) To prosper or fare well.
   • The town flourished with the coming of the railway.
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.
   • 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.a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount...
5. (transitive) To make bold, sweeping movements with.
   • They flourished the banner as they stormed the palace.
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.
   • Impetuous spread the stream, and smoking flourished o'er his head.1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC

See all 17 meanings of flourish