flourish |ˈfləri sh | verb 1 [ intrans. ] (of a person, animal, or other living organism) grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, esp. as the result of a particularly favorable environment : wild plants flourish on the banks of the lake. • develop rapidly and successfully : the organization has continued to flourish. • [with adverbial ] (of a person) be working or at the height of one's career during a specified period : the caricaturist and wit who flourished in the early years of this century. 2 [ trans. ] (of a person) wave (something) around to attract the attention of others : “Happy New Year!” he yelled, flourishing a bottle of whiskey. noun 1 a bold or extravagant gesture or action, made esp. to attract the attention of others : with a flourish, she ushered them inside. • an instance of suddenly performing or developing in an impressively successful way : the Bulldogs produced a late second-half flourish. • an elaborate rhetorical or literary expression. • an ornamental flowing curve in handwriting or scrollwork : spiky gothic letters with an emphatic flourish beneath them. 2 Music a fanfare played by brass instruments : a flourish of trumpets. • an ornate musical passage. • an improvised addition played esp. at the beginning or end of a composition. DERIVATIVES flourisher noun ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French floriss-, lengthened stem of florir, based on Latin florere, from flos, flor- ‘a flower.’ The noun senses [ornamental curve] and [florid expression] come from an obsolete sense of the verb, [adorn] (originally with flowers).