v., -ished, -ish·ing, -ish·es. v.intr.
- To grow well or luxuriantly; thrive: The crops flourished in the rich soil.
- To do or fare well; prosper: "No village on the railroad failed to flourish" (John Kenneth Galbraith).
- To be in a period of highest productivity, excellence, or influence: a poet who flourished in the tenth century.
- To make bold, sweeping movements: The banner flourished in the wind.
To wield, wave, or exhibit dramatically.
n.
- A dramatic or stylish movement, as of waving or brandishing: "A few ... musicians embellish their performance with a flourish of the fingers" (Frederick D. Bennett).
- An embellishment or ornamentation: a signature with a distinctive flourish.
- An ostentatious act or gesture: a flourish of generosity.
- Music. A showy or ceremonious passage, such as a fanfare.
[Middle English florishen, from Old French florir, floriss-, from Vulgar Latin *flōrīre, from Latin flōrēre, to bloom, from flōs, flōr-, flower.]
flourisher flour'ish·er n.SYNONYMS flourish, brandish, wave. These verbs mean to swing back and forth boldly and dramatically: flourished her newly signed contract; brandish a sword; waving a baton.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
