seed 1 of 2

noun

ˈsēd How to pronounce seed (audio)
Definition of seednext
1
as in root
the source from which something grows or develops ancient Greece provided the seed for much of Western civilization's political and philosophical thought

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2
as in offspring
the descendants of a person, animal, or plant the famous stallion's seed can be found on racetracks all over the world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

seed

2 of 2

verb

as in to plant
to put or set into the ground to grow seeded grass in the backyard

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of seed
Noun
The star ingredients here are coconut oil—one of the most popular hair moisturizers—and fennel seed oil, which is lightweight and can help strengthen and thus prevent breakage. — Eden Stuart, Glamour, 7 July 2026 Seeing her best friend’s surrogacy journey unfold up close planted a seed that would eventually change the course of her own life. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Verb
However, in New England, silage corn harvest can extend to late October due to labor constraints, unfavorable soil conditions, and weather variability, which can substantially narrow the window for early cover crop establishment using these conventional drill-seeding methods. — Nora Doonan, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 European leaders fear pro-Russian groups are seeding AI chatbots with propaganda. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for seed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seed
  1. root
  2. offspring
  3. plant
  4. origin
  5. fruit
  6. germ
  7. beginning
Noun
  • But many housing experts point to local zoning and red tape as the root of the slowdown in homebuilding.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • For items like green onions, trim the root end and remove the outer layer and wash thoroughly under running water.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of root
Noun
  • After several generations, those faster-growing cells produced more offspring and became increasingly common in the population, demonstrating a basic form of natural selection.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Instead, the system simply makes a bunch of copies to increase the probability that some of them will end up in each of the offspring.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of offspring
Verb
  • But after discovering that Cady and Nevaeh had been using a drug on Zack to brainwash him, Anna opts to fight fire with fire by planting drugs in Cady’s house and placing an anonymous call to CrimeStoppers.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • In other words, romance novels plant the hope, and romance bookstores give readers somewhere to act on it by lingering, browsing, joining a book club or striking up a conversation.
    — Katelyn Frey, The Conversation, 10 July 2026
Definition of plant
Noun
  • The innovative fair’s first international edition will debut during Art Basel Paris and be staged in two buildings in the Marais, a swerve from its highly specific locational origins.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 9 July 2026
  • And that historically had a sort of origin in the Drake equation, which might have fallen out of favor, but really structured the conversation for a long time.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of origin
Noun
  • Near Paths and Driveways Similar to not planting near your house because of the mess and potential structural damage, keep fruit trees well away from paths and driveways.
    — Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2026
  • The framework encourages avoiding tobacco, staying physically active, getting sufficient sleep and eating a nutritious diet built around fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like olive oil.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of fruit
Noun
  • In Toilet Base Regularly cleaning your toilet with water and vinegar will keep the smells away, but will also clean any of the germs that fester in and around your toilet and make the area stink, according to Knoll.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 July 2026
  • Germ theory also emerged in the late 1800s, in which scientists discovered that germs caused disease.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of germ
Noun
  • Michelle Branch is going back to her electric blue beginnings.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • So the players have to lose every contest once to get to Room 8 and discover how to claim ultimate victory, then win every contest to get back to the beginning and correctly count some rice.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of beginning

Phrases Containing seed

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see after
seed
seedbed
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Cite this Entry

“Seed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seed. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on seed

Nglish: Translation of seed for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about seed

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