germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
1
: to come into being : evolve
… before Western civilization began to germinate …—
A. L. Kroeber
A. L. Kroeber2
: to begin to grow : sprout
waiting for the seeds to germinate
Examples of germinate in a Sentence
methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds
Recent Examples on the Web
Snow, ice, and below-zero temperatures won’t affect the dormant seed; cool-season grasses like fescue will germinate when temperature and moisture conditions are right in early spring.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
The impermeable seed coat strategy generally helps survival of the species by making sure all of a season’s crop don’t germinate in the same year.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
Most distilleries in Scotland don’t actually malt their own barley, the process in which barley is germinated and then heated to stop the process before being turned into mash and distilled.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2025
Plants can be grown from transplants or seed, which requires cold stratification to germinate.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
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Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Nov. 2025
The impermeable seed coat strategy generally helps survival of the species by making sure all of a season’s crop don’t germinate in the same year.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
Most distilleries in Scotland don’t actually malt their own barley, the process in which barley is germinated and then heated to stop the process before being turned into mash and distilled.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2025
Plants can be grown from transplants or seed, which requires cold stratification to germinate.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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Medical Definition
germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
: to begin to grow : sprout
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