Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - grow

~ v past tense grew past participle grown 1 »PERSON/ANIMAL« to become bigger and develop over a period of time  (How you've grown since the last time I saw you! | grow 2 inches/5cm etc)  (Stan grew two inches in six months. | growing boy/girl)  (Of course he eats a lot - he's a growing boy!) 2 »PLANTS/CROPS« a) to exist and develop somewhere in a natural way  (There's corn growing in that field. | It's too cold for orchids to grow here.) b) to make plants or crops grow by taking care of them  (We grow all our own vegetables.)  (- see raise1) 3 »HAIR/NAILS« a) if hair, nails etc grow, they become longer b) if you grow your hair, nails, you do not cut them 4 »INCREASE« to increase in amount, size, or degree  (De Niro's reputation continues to grow. | Fears are growing for the safety of the crew. | growing concern/interest/disbelief etc)  (Scientists view the hole in the ozone layer with growing concern. | a growing number)  (A growing number of people are taking part-time jobs. | grow in strength/confidence (=become stronger, more confident)) 5 grow old/hot/worse etc to become old etc over a period of time  (She grew impatient with his constant excuses. | I'm scared of growing old.) 6 grow to like/fear/respect etc to gradually start to like etc someone or something  (After a while the kids grew to like Mr Cox.) 7 »IMPROVE« to improve in ability or character  (She's grown tremendously as a musician since Pallino took her on.) 8 »BUSINESS« to make something increase in size or importance  (We want to grow the export side of the business.) 9 it doesn't grow on trees spoken used about money, to mean that you should not waste it grow apart phr v if two people grow apart, their relationship becomes less close  (He said the couple had been growing apart for at least a year.) grow away from sb phr v T not in passive to begin gradually to have a less close relationship with someone that you loved  (While at university she had grown away from her family.) grow into sb/sth phr v T not in passive 1 to develop over a period of time and become a particular kind of person or thing  (Susan's grown into a lovely young woman.) 2 if a child grows into clothes, they become big enough to wear them  (His new jacket's a bit big for him now but he'll soon grow into it.) 3 to gradually learn how to do a job or deal with a situation successfully grow on sb phr v if someone or something grows on you, you like them more and more  (His music is difficult to listen to, but after a while it grows on you.) grow out of sth phr v 1 if a child grows out of clothes, they become too big to wear them 2 if a child grows out of a habit, they stop doing it as they get older  (She used to bite her nails but seems to have grown out of it.) 3 to develop from something small or simple into something bigger or more complicated  (The dispute grew out of an argument between a worker and the foreman.) grow up phr v 1 develop from being a child to being an adult  (What do you want to be when you grow up? | I grew up on a farm.) 2 grow up! spoken used to tell someone to behave more like an adult, especially when they have been behaving in a silly way 3 to start to exist and become bigger or more important  (Trading settlements grew up along the river.)