seed

¹seed

noun \ˈsēd\

plural seed or seeds

Definition of SEED

1

a (1) : the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing (2) : the fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant containing an embryo and capable normally of germination to produce a new plant; broadly : a propagative plant structure (as a spore or small dry fruit) b : a propagative animal structure: (1) : milt, semen (2) : a small egg (as of an insect) (3) : a developmental form of a lower animal suitable for transplanting; specifically : spat c : the condition or stage of bearing seed <in seed>

2

: progeny

3

: a source of development or growth : germ <sowed the seeds of discord>

4

: something (as a tiny particle or a bubble in glass) that resembles a seed in shape or size

5

: a competitor who has been seeded in a tournament <the top seed>

— seed adjective

— seed·ed \ˈsē-dəd\ adjective

— seed·less \ˈsēd-ləs\ adjective

— seed·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— go to seed or run to seed

1

: to develop seed

2

: decay, deteriorate

Examples of SEED

1. a packet of sunflower seeds
2. He planted the seeds three inches apart.
3. She raked the grass seed into the soil.
4. The top seed won the tournament.
5. Our team is the number one seed.
6. She is ranked as the third seed.

Origin of SEED

Middle English, from Old English sǣd; akin to Old High German sāt seed, Old English sāwan to sow — more at sow

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SEED

Synonyms: fountainhead, germ, origin, root, seedbed

Related Words: font, fountain, spring, well, wellhead, wellspring; beginning, birth, commencement, dawn, genesis, inception, incipiency, launch, morning, onset, outset, start, threshold; creation, inauguration, origination

Near Antonyms: ancestor, antecedent, father, forebear (also forbear), forebearer, forefather, grandfather, parent, primogenitor, progenitor

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Genetics Terms

chimera, hermaphrodite, plasticity

Rhymes with SEED

bead, Bede, bleed, brede, breed, cede, creed, deed, feed, Gide, gleed, greed, heed, keyed, knead, kneed, lead, mead, Mead, Mede, meed, need, plead, read, rede, reed, screed, Snead, speed, steed, swede, treed, tweed, weed