Meanings
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1
noun
the unopened or partly opened flower bud of a rose
A single red rosebud appeared at the end of the stem.
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2
noun
literary or dated: a pretty, youthful person, especially a young woman
The novelist described the debutante as a shy rosebud of the season.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A transparent compound of rose + bud. The figurative use for a young beauty extends the image of an unopened flower suggesting freshness and youth.