seed

1 of 2

noun

ˈsēd 

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)

b

: a propagative animal structure:

(1)

: milt, semen

(2)

: a small egg (as of an insect)

(3)

: a developmental form of a lower animal suitable for transplanting

specifically : spat

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

seed adjective

seeded

ˈsē-dəd 

adjective

seedless

ˈsēd-ləs 

adjective

seedlike

ˈsēd-ˌlīk 

adjective

seed

2 of 2

verb

seeded; seeding; seeds

intransitive verb

1

: to bear or shed seed

2

: to sow seed : plant

transitive verb

1

a

: to plant seeds in : sow

seed a lawn with grass

b

: to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development

c

: inoculate

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

2

: plant sense 1a

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

Phrases

go to seed or run to seed

1

: to develop seed

2

: decay, deteriorate

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• fountainhead
• germ
• origin
• root
• seedbed

Verb

• drill
• plant
• put in
• sow

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

Noun

Raspberry seed oil and vitamin E provide nourishment and protection overnight. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025

After all, their 2023 run to the NBA Finals – dethroning the No. 1 overall seed in the first round – was one of the most appealing storylines of the last decade. —Shane Young, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

Long wait times became a self-fulfilling prophecy In recent weeks, news of the turmoil at Social Security mobilized fretful Americans to telephone or visit the agency, seeding further chaos. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 1 May 2025

Loading your audio article In April 2024, Priscilla Chan sat on a stage during the five-year anniversary celebration for a housing initiative that she and husband Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropy had seeded with a $50 million commitment. —Kate Talerico, Mercury News, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sǣd; akin to Old High German sāt seed, Old English sāwan to sow — more at sow

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing seed

• bad seed
• canary seed
• chia seed
• fern seed
• grow (plants) from seed
• plant/sow a seed of
• poppy seed
• seed capital
• seed coat
• seed fern
• seed itself
• seed leaf
• seed money
• seed oyster
• seed pearl
• seed plant
• seed pod
• seed potato
• seed/seeds of one's own destruction
• seed stock
• seed tick
• thistle seed

Rhymes for seed

• bead
• bleed
• brede
• breed
• cede
• creed
• deed
• feed
• freed
• greed
• heed
• keyed

Kids Definition

seed

1 of 2 noun

ˈsēd 

plural seed or seeds

1

a

: the grains of plants used for sowing

b

: a fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant that contains an embryo and is capable of producing a new plant

also : a plant structure (as a spore or small dry fruit) capable of producing a new plant

c

: semen

also : milt

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 adjective

seeded

-əd 

adjective

seedlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

seed

2 of 2 verb

1

: 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

ˈsēd 

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)

b

: a propagative animal structure:

(1)

: milt, semen

(2)

: a small egg (as of an insect)

(3)

: a developmental form of a lower animal see seed tick

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

transitive verb

1

: to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development

2

: inoculate

3

: to supply with nuclei (as of crystallization or condensation)

seed

3 of 3 adjective

1

: selected or used to produce a new crop or stock

seed virus

2

: left or saved for breeding

a seed population