Illustration of seedling
- 1 primary root
- 2 rootlet
- 3 root hairs
- 4 hypocotyl
- 5 cotyledon
- 6 epicotyl
- 7 true leaf
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
a
: a young tree before it becomes a sapling
b
: a nursery plant not yet transplanted
seedling
adjective
Examples of seedling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Raising tiny tree seedlings to a marketable size is a fraught business.
—
Ali Besharat, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Some of these contraptions even come with a phone app that reminds you when to water your seedlings.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
In winter, hand-pull small seedlings or cut larger plants down to the ground, then cover the stumps with tarps for at least one growing season to prevent them from resprouting.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Buying from a farm supports local tree farmers, who plant 1 to 3 seedlings for every tree sold, which helps maintain healthy forests, according to the Nature Conservancy.
—George Petras, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
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Ali Besharat, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Some of these contraptions even come with a phone app that reminds you when to water your seedlings.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 12 Dec. 2025
In winter, hand-pull small seedlings or cut larger plants down to the ground, then cover the stumps with tarps for at least one growing season to prevent them from resprouting.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Buying from a farm supports local tree farmers, who plant 1 to 3 seedlings for every tree sold, which helps maintain healthy forests, according to the Nature Conservancy.
—George Petras, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
Cite this Entry
“Seedling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seedling. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seedling
noun
seed·ling
ˈsēd-liŋ 
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
: a tree before it becomes a sapling
seedling
adjective
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