10.4 Words and Phrases

Vocabulary

Word Meaning Example sentence
seed the small part of a plant from which a new plant grows Rakesh saved a cherry seed.
sapling a young, small tree A tiny sapling pushed up from the soil.
sprout to begin to grow; to send out shoots The seed sprouted after the rains.
nurture to care for and help grow He learned to nurture the little tree.
resilient able to recover quickly from harm The tree proved surprisingly resilient.
scythe a tool with a curved blade for cutting grass A woman’s scythe cut the young tree.
frost a thin layer of ice; freezing cold The winter frost threatened the sapling.
blossom a flower, or to produce flowers The tree burst into pink blossom.
sour sharp, tart in taste The cherries were small and sour.
bare without leaves or covering The tree stood bare in winter.
tender soft, delicate, easily hurt The tender new leaves were fragile.
flourish to grow well and thrive In time, the tree began to flourish.

Phrases and expressions

Expression What it means
spring back to recover quickly after being damaged
take root to begin growing; to become established
year after year over many successive years
come into blossom to begin flowering

Exam Tip This chapter is full of nature and growth words (seed, sapling, sprout, blossom, flourish). Learn them as a “life cycle” sequence — it makes them easy to remember and useful for describing growth in your own writing.

Use what you’ve learnt

Fill each blank: sapling, resilient, frost, blossom, nurture.

  1. A tiny ___ appeared months after planting.
  2. Rakesh had to ___ the young tree with care.
  3. The winter ___ nearly killed the plant.
  4. The tree proved ___, recovering each time.
  5. In spring it burst into pink ___.
  1. sapling   2. nurture   3. frost   4. resilient   5. blossom