transplant

American  

[trans-plant, -plahnt, trans-plant, -plahnt] / trænsˈplænt, -ˈplɑnt, ˈtrænsˌplænt, -ˌplɑnt /

verb (used with object)

transplants, present (3rd person singular) transplanted, past participle, past transplanting present participle

1. to remove (a plant) from one place and plant it in another.

2. Surgery. to transfer (an organ, tissue, etc.) from one part of the body to another or from one person or animal to another.

3. to move from one place to another.

4. to bring (a family, colony, etc.) from one country, region, etc., to another for settlement; relocate.

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verb (used without object)

transplants, present (3rd person singular) transplanted, past participle, past transplanting present participle

1. to undergo or accept transplanting.

   to transplant easily.

noun

1. the act or process of transplanting.

2. a plant, organ, person, etc., that has been transplanted.

transplant British  

verb

1. (tr) to remove or transfer (esp a plant) from one place to another

2. (intr) to be capable of being transplanted

3. surgery to transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part of the body to another or from one person or animal to another during a grafting or transplant operation

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noun

1. surgery

   1. the procedure involved in such a transfer

   2. the organ or tissue transplanted

transplant Scientific  

/ trăns′plănt′ /

1. A plant that has been uprooted and replanted.

2. A surgical procedure in a human or animal in which a body tissue or organ is transferred from a donor to a recipient or from one part of the body to another. Heart, lung, liver, kidney, corneal, and bone-marrow transplants are performed to treat life-threatening illness. Donated tissue must be histocompatible with that of the recipient to prevent immunological rejection.

3. See also graft

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• untransplanted
  adjective
• retransplant
  verb (used with object)
• retransplantation
  noun
• transplantable
  adjective
• transplantation
  noun
• transplanter
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have transplanted
  perfect
• has transplanted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are transplanting
  progressive
• am transplanting
  progressive 1st person singular
• is transplanting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been transplanting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• transplants
  singular 3rd person
• have been transplanting
  perfect progressive
• transplanting
  participle

Past

• had transplanted
  perfect
• had been transplanting
  perfect progressive
• were transplanting
  progressive plural
• was transplanting
  progressive singular
• transplanted
  participle
• transplanted
  simple

Future

• will transplant
  simple
• will have transplanted
  perfect
• will be transplanting
  progressive
• will have been transplanting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of transplant

1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin trānsplantāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + plantāre to plant

Explanation

Use the verb transplant to describe what you do when you move a cactus into a bigger container, or what a doctor does when she places a donor organ — like a kidney or lung — into the body of a patient. When you transplant your favorite rose bush, you carefully dig it up and re-plant it in another spot in the yard, maybe one that gets more sunlight. You can also use the word as a noun to describe the act of doing such a thing: "The liver transplant was a success." The word's origin is simple: the Latin trans, or "across," plus plantare, which means "to plant."

Example Sentences

She has also been told that a second stem cell transplant cannot be performed in the UK and doctors have predicted her current treatment plan will help her survive for six more months.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

A successful transplant hinges on several factors, including finding the right match and ensuring the body does not reject the new organ once implanted.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

"Our work, if further validated, will have implications for T cell-mediated immune responses beyond cancer and transplant immunology," Reddy said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026

I was a friendless transplant in Los Angeles and I just wanted to get back to working at “The Office.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

You will see by his letters what pains he is taking to invite a reinforcement, at all events, there, and to transplant the war to the Southern Colonies.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

• emigrate
• graft
• immigrate
• remove
• uproot