plant

1 of 2

verb

planted; planting; plants

transitive verb

1
a
: to put or set in the ground for growth
plant seeds
b
: to set or sow with seeds or plants
c
2
c
: to place (animals) in a new locality
d
: to stock with animals
3
a
: to place in or on the ground
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted a hard blow on his chin
4
a
b
: to covertly place for discovery, publication, or dissemination

intransitive verb

: to plant something
plantable adjective

plant

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a young tree, vine, shrub, or herb planted or suitable for planting
b
: any of a kingdom (Plantae) of multicellular eukaryotic mostly photosynthetic organisms typically lacking locomotive movement or obvious nervous or sensory organs and possessing cellulose cell walls
2
a
: the land, buildings, machinery, apparatus, and fixtures employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial business
b
: a factory or workshop for the manufacture of a particular product
also : power plant
c
: the total facilities available for production or service
d
: the buildings and other physical equipment of an institution
3
: an act of planting
4
: something or someone planted
plantlike adjective

Examples of plant in a Sentence

Verb I planted corn this year. I planted the border with roses. a field planted with corn She planted stakes in the garden to hold the vines. I firmly planted my feet and refused to move. He planted himself in front of the TV and stayed there. Terrorists planted a bomb in the bus station. She claims that the police planted the drugs in her car. He was a spy planted in the office by a rival company. Someone planted a rumor saying that he had died. Noun The gangsters never suspected that he was a police plant. a furniture plant that employs hundreds of people
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
So can food plots, especially those planted with timely species. Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024 Are Lilies Perennials That Can Survive Winter? Why to Leave Lily Bulbs in the Ground True lily bulbs planted in their growing zones are best left in the ground in the fall for a couple of reasons. Lauren David, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
The decrease is attributed to a change in the mix of plants running in 2024. Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024 Incidentally, this resistance to the pain-producing qualities of capsaicin is key to the fertilization of spicy plants, according to Javed. Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 13 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for plant 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English plantian, from Late Latin plantare to plant, fix in place, from Latin, to plant, from planta plant

Noun

Middle English plante, from Old English, from Latin planta

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of plant was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near plant

Cite this Entry

“Plant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plant. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

plant

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to put or set in the ground to grow
plant seeds
b
: to set permanently in the consciousness of : implant
plant good habits
2
a
: to cause to become established
plant colonies
b
: to stock or provide with something usually to grow or increase
plant fields to corn
plant a stream with trout
3
a
: to place or fix in the ground
planted stakes to hold the vines
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted themselves right in our way
4
: to place or introduce so as to mislead
plant a spy

plant

2 of 2 noun
1
: any of a kingdom of mostly photosynthetic living things usually lacking the ability to move from place to place under their own power, having no obvious nervous or sensory organs, possessing cellulose cell walls, and often having a body that is able to keep growing without taking on a fixed size and shape
2
a
: the land, buildings, and equipment of an organization
the college plant
b
: a building or workshop for the manufacture of a product : factory
3
: something or someone planted
left muddy footprints as a plant to confuse the police
plantlike adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on plant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!