transplants; transplanted; transplanting
1
: to remove (a plant) from the ground or from a pot and move it to another place
She carefully transplanted the seedlings.
The bush was transplanted to a different part of the garden.
This plant does not transplant well. [=this plant does not grow well if you transplant it]
2
medical
: to perform a medical operation in which an organ or other part that has been removed from the body of one person is put into the body of another person
Doctors transplanted one of his kidneys into his sister.
a recipient of a transplanted heart
3
: to move (a person or animal) to a new home : relocate
The group transplanted the beavers to another part of the state.
She is a New Yorker who recently transplanted to the West Coast.
plural transplants
1
medical
a
: a medical operation in which an organ or other part is removed from the body of one person and put into the body of another person
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.
transplant patients/recipients
b
: an organ, piece of skin, etc., that is transplanted
The patient's body rejected the transplant.
She received a bone marrow transplant from an unknown donor.
2
: a person who has moved to a new home especially in a different region or country
She's a Southern transplant who now lives in New York.
Cite this Entry
“Transplant.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/transplant. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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