The very first usage of “burgeon” might have been related to tufts of wool sprouting. “Burgeon” stems from the Old French “bourgeonner,” meaning “put out buds,” and that is based on the Latin “burra,” meaning “wool.” However, the Oxford English Dictionary notes that in the 18th century, “burgeon” was solely related to the world of gardening. In this context, “burgeon” means “to bloom.” The word then began to acquire a new usage in the poetry of the 19th century. To this literary audience, burgeoning, blossoming, and sprouting equated to flourishing, or growing rapidly.