plural seed or seeds
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 (such as a spore or small dry fruit)
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 (such 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
see also go to seed
seeded; seeding; seeds
1
b
: to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development
c
d
: to supply with nuclei (as of crystallization or condensation)
especially
: to treat (a cloud) with solid particles to convert water droplets into ice crystals in an attempt to produce precipitation
e
: to cover or permeate by or as if by scattering something
… seeded [the] sea-lanes with thousands of magnetic mines.—
Otto Friedrich
Otto Friedrich2
3
: to extract the seeds from (fruit)
4
a
: to schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds
b
: to rank (a contestant) relative to others in a tournament on the basis of previous record
the top-seeded tennis star
Did you know?
Do you cede or seed control?
Cede means "to yield or grant typically by treaty." Most of the verb senses of seed are concerned with planting seeds (either literal, as of plants, or figuratively, as of ideas). However, the word may also be used to mean "to schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds." If you relinquish or yield something you are ceding it, and if you are organizing the participants in a tournament you are seeding them.
Examples of seed in a Sentence
Noun
a packet of sunflower seeds
He planted the seeds three inches apart.
She raked the grass seed into the soil.
The top seed won the tournament.
Our team is the number one seed.
She is ranked as the third seed.
Verb
We seeded the field with corn.
These plants will seed late in the fall.
After you wash and seed the peppers you can chop them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
The item features two beef patties, three slices of cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and a new tangy Big Arch sauce on a poppy and sesame seed bun, according to a news release.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
In July, after rampant flooding claimed more than 130 lives in the Texas Hill Country, false rumors started to spread on social media that Coogan and Hays’s friend Augustus Doricko had contributed to the bad weather with his cloud-seeding company Rainmaker.
—Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for seed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
To enhance curb appeal, Rhodes recommends investing between $1,000 to $3,000 to remove dead plants, trim overgrown shrubs, spread grass seed, and add a layer of new mulch.
—Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
The item features two beef patties, three slices of cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions and a new tangy Big Arch sauce on a poppy and sesame seed bun, according to a news release.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Verb
Seven teams from the AFC and seven from the NFC will qualify and be seeded in separate brackets.
—Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
In July, after rampant flooding claimed more than 130 lives in the Texas Hill Country, false rumors started to spread on social media that Coogan and Hays’s friend Augustus Doricko had contributed to the bad weather with his cloud-seeding company Rainmaker.
—Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for seed
Cite this Entry
“Seed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seed. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seed
1 of 2 noun
plural seed or seeds
1
2
: the children of one individual
the seed of David
3
: something from which growth takes place : germ
4
: a competitor who has been seeded in a tournament
the top seed
seed
2 of 2 verb1
: to produce or shed seeds
weeds that seed freely
2
: to plant seeds in : sow
seed a lawn with grass
3
: to treat (a cloud) with solid particles to convert water droplets into ice crystals in an attempt to produce rain
4
: to remove seeds from
5
: to rank (a player or team) in a tournament on the basis of previous record
was seeded second in the state tournament
Medical Definition
seed
1 of 3 noun
plural seed or seeds
1
a
: 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)
2
: a small usually glass and gold or platinum capsule used as a container for a radioactive substance (as radium or radon) to be applied usually interstitially in the treatment of cancer
implantation of radon seeds for bladder cancer
seed
2 of 3 intransitive verb
: to bear or shed seed
1
: to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development
2
3
: to supply with nuclei (as of crystallization or condensation)
seed
3 of 3 adjective1
: selected or used to produce a new crop or stock
seed virus
2
: left or saved for breeding
a seed population
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