transplant

1 of 2

verb

trans·​plant ˌtran(t)s-ˈplant 

transplanted; transplanting; transplants

transitive verb

1

: to lift and reset (a plant) in another soil or situation

2

: to remove from one place or context and settle or introduce elsewhere : relocate

3

: to transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part or individual to another

intransitive verb

: to tolerate being transplanted

does not transplant as well as other varieties

transplantability

ˌtran(t)s-ˌplan-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

transplantable

tran(t)s-ˈplan-tə-bəl 

adjective

transplantation

ˌtran(t)s-ˌplan-ˈtā-shən 

noun

transplanter

tran(t)s-ˈplan-tər 

noun

transplant

2 of 2

noun

trans·​plant ˈtran(t)s-ˌplant 

1

a

: a person or thing that is transplanted

b

: a manufacturing plant set up locally by a foreign automobile company to save on shipping costs

bumpers shipped to a Japanese transplant in the U.S.

2

: the act or process of transplanting

Examples of transplant in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully transplanted the seedlings.

The bush was transplanted to a different part of the garden.

Doctors transplanted one of his kidneys into his sister.

a recipient of a transplanted heart

The group transplanted the beavers to another part of the state.

She is a New Yorker who recently transplanted to the West Coast.

Noun

The heart transplant was successful.

He is going to need a liver transplant.

The doctors are trying to keep him alive until a liver can be found for transplant.

The patient's body rejected the transplant.

She received a bone marrow transplant from an unknown donor.

She's a Southern transplant who now lives in New York.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Emerald Check Small Garden Pot There are a variety of planters and vases in this colorway, with some small enough for a solo succulent and others large enough to transplant your bird of paradise. —Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Apr. 2025

When the heart is deprived of blood, ischemia – a shortage of oxygen – can damage its muscle tissue, or myocardium, reducing function and health once it is transplanted. —New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2025

Noun

In many medical centers, the cost of heart transplants has fallen by 40 percent compared to Western averages, boosting affordability without sacrificing quality. —Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

Common Approaches to Hair Loss The most common methods discussed are hair transplants and surgical procedures like Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) or Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). —Rhiannon Frater, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English transplaunten, from Late Latin transplantare, from Latin trans- + plantare to plant

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1756, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for transplant

• decant
• descant
• eggplant
• enchant
• explant
• implant
• preplant
• recant
• replant
• secant
• supplant
• ant

Kids Definition

transplant

1 of 2 verb

trans·​plant tran(t)s-ˈplant 

1

: to dig up and plant in another soil or situation

transplant seedlings

2

: to remove from one place and settle or introduce elsewhere

transplanted beavers to other parts of the state

a New Yorker transplanted to the West coast

3

: to transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part or individual to another

transplantation

ˌtran(t)s-ˌplan-ˈtā-shən 

noun

transplanter

tran(t)s-ˈplant-ər 

noun

transplant

2 of 2 noun

trans·​plant ˈtran(t)s-ˌplant 

1

: something or someone transplanted

2

: the act or process of transplanting

Medical Definition

transplant

1 of 2 transitive verb

trans·​plant tran(t)s-ˈplant 

: to transfer from one place to another

especially : to transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part or individual to another

transplant

2 of 2 noun

trans·​plant ˈtran(t)s-ˌplant 

1

: something (as an organ or part) that is transplanted

2

: the act or process of transplanting : transplantation

performed a kidney transplant