planted; planting; plants
1
2
3
a
: to place in or on the ground
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted a hard blow on his chin
4
a
: conceal
b
: to covertly place for discovery, publication, or dissemination
: to plant something
1
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
Synonyms
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
Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
Volunteer to help plant a variety of shrubs and native trees to help reclaim part of the Tri-State Trails that was once overrun by invasive plant species.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
Later that night, as the two were sleeping, the fiancee said, the employee woke up in a sweat and believed cameras had been planted around his home.
—Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Macduff plants himself like the steady leg of a compass, and the whole play must pivot around him.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
These events will offer a range of activities including a tree to take home to plant for the first 50 volunteers at one location.
—Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Blandin plants the bar’s back patio in succulents, flowers and herbs, many of which make their way into her cocktails.
—Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
The Arboretum's horticulturalists hope to preserve Stumpy's genetic material by collecting clippings from the little tree to be planted and grown on the Arboretum's grounds in a process called propagation.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Like daily prayers, planting trees should be a habit.
—Sui-Lee Wee Ulet Ifansasti, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Next on the schedule is a vote by 5,000 workers at a Mercedes plant in Alabama, scheduled to take place May 13-17.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Authorities from multiple agencies later searched the area around the Interstate 80 bridge at Bryte Bend and the city’s water treatment plant.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 21 Apr. 2024
The islands' distinctive geography and diverse climates give rise to a rich array of plant life, including unique endemic species that are exclusive to Hawaii, like the spiky, silver ʻāhinahina.
—Kathleen Wong, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
And Mexico broke ground earlier this year on the rehabilitation of the San Antonio de los Buenos plant in Punta Bandera, a facility in Baja California that has been inoperative for years.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Your questions and comments regarding any plant or gardening topic.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Novel ecosystems that people have created by moving plants and animals around the world will produce novel fossil assemblages.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The flora and fauna feature more than 1,700 plant species as well as chamois, boars and deer.
—David Unsworth, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
Verb
This planted the seed of the idea to write a book about the dysfunctional relationship between humanity and forests.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
Volunteer to help plant a variety of shrubs and native trees to help reclaim part of the Tri-State Trails that was once overrun by invasive plant species.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
Later that night, as the two were sleeping, the fiancee said, the employee woke up in a sweat and believed cameras had been planted around his home.
—Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
Macduff plants himself like the steady leg of a compass, and the whole play must pivot around him.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2024
These events will offer a range of activities including a tree to take home to plant for the first 50 volunteers at one location.
—Brendel Hightower, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Blandin plants the bar’s back patio in succulents, flowers and herbs, many of which make their way into her cocktails.
—Elaine Glusac, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2024
The Arboretum's horticulturalists hope to preserve Stumpy's genetic material by collecting clippings from the little tree to be planted and grown on the Arboretum's grounds in a process called propagation.
—USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Like daily prayers, planting trees should be a habit.
—Sui-Lee Wee Ulet Ifansasti, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Noun
Last week, the National Labor Relations Board announced the dates for the vote at the two Mercedes plants in Alabama.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Next on the schedule is a vote by 5,000 workers at a Mercedes plant in Alabama, scheduled to take place May 13-17.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Authorities from multiple agencies later searched the area around the Interstate 80 bridge at Bryte Bend and the city’s water treatment plant.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 21 Apr. 2024
The islands' distinctive geography and diverse climates give rise to a rich array of plant life, including unique endemic species that are exclusive to Hawaii, like the spiky, silver ʻāhinahina.
—Kathleen Wong, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024
And Mexico broke ground earlier this year on the rehabilitation of the San Antonio de los Buenos plant in Punta Bandera, a facility in Baja California that has been inoperative for years.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Your questions and comments regarding any plant or gardening topic.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
Novel ecosystems that people have created by moving plants and animals around the world will produce novel fossil assemblages.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The flora and fauna feature more than 1,700 plant species as well as chamois, boars and deer.
—David Unsworth, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to plant
Dictionary Entries Near plant
Cite this Entry
“Plant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plant. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plant
1 of 2 verb1
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 noun1
: 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
c
3
: something or someone planted
left muddy footprints as a plant to confuse the police
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