plant

verb

\ ˈplant

planted; planting; plants

Definition of plant

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to put or set in the ground for growth plant seeds

b : to set or sow with seeds or plants

c : implant

2a : establish, institute

b : colonize, settle

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

intransitive verb

: to plant something

plant

noun

Definition of plant (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

2a : 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

Other Words from plant Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about plant

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Other Words from plant

Verb

plantable \ ˈplan-tə-bəl

\ adjective

Noun

plantlike \ ˈplant-ˌlīk

\ adjective

Synonyms for plant

Synonyms: Verb

drill, put in, seed, sow

Synonyms: Noun

factory, manufactory, mill, shop, works, workshop

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

The road was completely rebuilt, new trees were planted and the storm drainage system was improved. — Luz Lazo, Washington Post, "Another portion of Beach Drive reopens Monday," 8 July 2018 Cora Berragan, a teacher at South Cobb High School, described at one such meeting how the Master Gardeners program helped her and her students plant a vegetable garden and rehabilitate a greenhouse on campus. — Meris Lutz, ajc, "Proposed Cobb tax increase galvanizes residents for and against," 8 July 2018 More than 180 species of flowers are planted here, and every week the show — color, shape, texture, and fragrance — gets better, Mcdonald says. — Hattie Bernstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Cool down this summer in these magical gardens," 5 July 2018 Slowly squat down deep, keeping your heels planted and knees out. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Cool Down as the Temperatures Heat Up With This Pool Workout — No Backstroke Required," 3 July 2018 Hays said her family received permission from the former HOA president to plant the trees and install the swing set. — Evan Frank, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "As an Oconomowoc 6-year-old fights a life-threatening infection, a neighborhood group is demanding her swing set come down," 2 July 2018 Out of Jeff Bostic’s snap and Theismann’s hold, Moseley stepped, planted and kicked. — Michael Farber, SI.com, "Mark Moseley, Last of the Straight-On Kickers," 2 July 2018 There’s another legacy: all the 19th-century Americans who were fed because these pioneers dared to plow and plant and persevere. — Randy Dotinga, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Bone and Sinew of the Land' restores a lost chapter of US history," 25 June 2018 This group of plants was ordered to be planted no later than June 29 and finished by July 13, 2018, near the church’s sports fields. — Jeff Forward, Houston Chronicle, "St. Anthony officials agree to township terms over planting," 23 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The last time Britain went a week without coal was in 1882, when the first coal-fired plant opened in London. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Britain Went an Entire Week Without Burning Coal," 10 May 2019 Meanwhile Soviet apparatchiks who run the plant refuse to admit the scale of the disaster. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "HBO’s New Miniseries Chernobyl Will Give You Nightmares," 4 May 2019 There are over 400 different chemicals that make up the plant, according to a 2012 study in the journal Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, including at least 60 of what are called cannabinoids. — Mary Emily O'hara, Allure, "Why People With Asthma Can Benefit From Edibles," 20 Apr. 2019 Pure aloe vera gel — whether out of a bottle or straight from the plant — contains cooling and soothing properties. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of a Sunburn ASAP," 16 Apr. 2019 The Fukushima plant has now been significantly stabilized and radiation has come down to levels considered safe in most areas. — Kim Tong-hyung And Mari Yamaguchi, The Seattle Times, "WTO upholds South Korean ban on Fukushima seafood," 12 Apr. 2019 As for the plants themselves, florist Denise Fasanello says that absolutely no harm comes to these pretty perennials if there's an ant invasion. — Blair Donovan, Country Living, "Fact or Fiction: Do Peonies Attract Ants?," 27 Mar. 2019 Sales of the Cruze sedan, the model made at the Lordstown plant, have declined for years, and shifts at the factory had gradually been cut over the last few years, from three a day to just one. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "When towns lose a factory, what comes next?," 29 Nov. 2018 At one point, the Queen came upon a particularly strange looking plant. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Looking Back at David Attenborough's Relationship with Queen Elizabeth and the Rest of the Royal Family," 4 Apr. 2019

These 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.

History and Etymology for plant

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

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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

noun

English 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

noun

Kids 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