SINCE 1828
plant
verb
\ ˈplant
\
\
planted;
planting;
plants
Definition of plant
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to put or set in the ground for growth
plant seeds
b
: to set or sow with seeds or plants
c
: implant
c
: to place (animals) in a new locality
d
: to stock with animals
3a
: to place in or on the ground
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted a hard blow on his chin
4a
: conceal
b
: to covertly place for discovery, publication, or dissemination
: to plant something
plant
nounDefinition of plant (Entry 2 of 2)
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
2a
: the land, buildings, machinery, apparatus, and fixtures employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial business
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
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Other Words from plant
Verb
plantable
\ ˈplan-tə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Noun
plantlike
\ ˈplant-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for plant
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
factory, manufactory, mill, shop, works, workshop
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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: Verb
Water Immediately after planting the grass seed, water the area with an oscillating sprinkler or adjustable fan-spray sprinkler. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How to Plant Grass Seed for a New Lawn," 23 Jan. 2019 Hoecker has seed trays, about 20 inches by 10 inches, that contain either 50 planted seeds of Douglas fir or 50 seeds of lodgepole pine, as well as control trays with zero seeds. — Kristen Pope, Discover Magazine, "Wildfire Engulfed Yellowstone 30 Years Ago. Its Recovery Could Predict The Future of the West," 12 Nov. 2018 Within a couple of days, other members of the community planted dozens of flowers alongside Mrs. Reoven and Victoria's initial offerings. — Isabella Gomez, Teen Vogue, "A Parkland Survivor and Teacher Started #ProjectGrowLove to Honor Those Whose Lives Were Lost," 11 Jan. 2019 Warren has planted a firm flag in the other camp, arguing that the right way to fight Trump on trade is to cast him as a faker. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "Elizabeth Warren wants to outflank Trump on trade," 29 Nov. 2018 Even the French have taken heed: famed wine family Taittinger planted its first vines in Chilham last year and English sparkling wine secured more gold medals than Champagne at the 2018 Sommelier Wine Awards. — Tyler Wetherall, Condé Nast Traveler, "Kent Is Poised to Be the U.K.'s Napa Valley," 14 Sep. 2018 That's correct, friends: Brianna made it through the stones and lasted approximately two minutes before face-planting down a hill and spraining her ankle. — Mehera Bonner, Harper's BAZAAR, "Outlander Just Aired the Best Episode of the Season So Far," 17 Dec. 2018 Be sure the soil is uniformly moist before planting. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About Container Gardening," 13 Aug. 2018 Hold off on planting any new plants until the heat breaks. — Sally Mccabe, Philly.com, "July 6-12: In the garden, it's time to…," 5 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
From fresh flowers to plants and trees, greenery not only helps to add freshness to a space but will also help improve overall indoor air quality. 10. — Cathy Hobbs, The Seattle Times, "Snowbound? It’s a great time to get hygge," 11 Feb. 2019 Over eons, plant and animal remains (not to mention hominins) have been found in the caves. — Lydia Pyne, Ars Technica, "Rising Star found a new species—now it wants to find a new way for paleoanthropology," 20 Dec. 2018 Frigg met with all living things (plants and animals) urging them not to harm her son. — Adam Schubak, Country Living, "Here's How Kissing Under the Mistletoe Became a Christmas Tradition," 29 Nov. 2018 The Toloa Reserve, the last remaining forest area on mainland Tonga, is home to several dozen species of plants and trees that have many uses: producing fruit (including durian and plums), timber, medicine, oils and much more. — Isabel Greenberg, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle Laughed So Hard She Cried During a Choir Performance in Tonga," 26 Oct. 2018 To maximize both plant (and human) access to sunlight, the architects removed most of the particle board interior walls and built a large skylight, which allows sun to illuminate the third floor where the living room is. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Renovated home comes with its own floating greenhouse," 24 Oct. 2018 Once complete, several months of testing will be needed at the plant and then onsite for brakes, electronics and other systems. — Phil Diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Coaster train to get five new locomotives," 12 July 2018 As for Optane itself, Intel’s message was that it won’t be hampered by one-time partner Micron’s decision to buy up the plant that Intel and Micron used to manufacture Optane, more generically known as 3D XPoint. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Intel addresses processor shortages, CEO hunt after reporting disappointing fourth-quarter results," 24 Jan. 2019 Doubleday ended up publishing the novel, although not before sending its own investigators to the plants to verify the details. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "We have food safety laws thanks to 19th century “poison squad”," 26 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Is That Plant 'Perennial' or 'Annual'?
Is That Plant 'Perennial' or 'Annual'?
We get asked at least once a year
Dictionary Entries near plant
Statistics for plant
Last Updated
17 Feb 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for plant
The first known use of plant was before the 12th century
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More Definitions for plant
plant
verb
English Language Learners Definition of plant
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to put (a seed, flower, or plant) in the ground to grow
: to fill (an area) with seeds, flowers, or plants
: to put or place (something) in the ground
plant
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of plant (Entry 2 of 2)
: a living thing that grows in the ground, usually has leaves or flowers, and needs sun and water to survive
: a building or factory where something is made
US
: the land, buildings, and equipment of an organization
See the full definition for plant in the English Language Learners Dictionary
plant
verb
\ ˈplant
\
\
planted;
planting
Kids Definition of plant
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to place in the ground to grow
We'll plant seeds in the spring.
2
: to fill with seeds or plants
plant a garden
3
: to set firmly in the ground
They planted posts for a fence.
4
: to place firmly
He planted himself on the couch.
5
: to introduce as a thought or idea
6
: to place (someone or something) secretly
… the teacher thought that he was planted in the audience to pep up the discussion …— E. L. Konigsburg, Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
plant
nounKids Definition of plant (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: any member of the kingdom of many-celled mostly photosynthetic living things (as mosses, ferns, grasses, and trees) that lack a nervous system or sense organs and the ability to move about and that have cellulose cell walls
2
: the buildings and equipment of an industrial business or an institution
a power plant
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