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• seed
  seed

  noun

  the fertilized, matured ovule of a flowering plant, containing an embryo or rudimentary plant.
• SEED
  SEED

  abbreviation

  Scottish Executive Education Department

seed

American  

[seed] / sid /

noun

• seeds,
  plural
• seed
  plural

1. the fertilized, matured ovule of a flowering plant, containing an embryo or rudimentary plant.

2. any propagative part of a plant, including tubers, bulbs, etc., especially as preserved for growing a new crop.

3. such parts collectively.

4. any similar small part or fruit.

5. Dialect. pit.

6. the germ or propagative source of anything.

   the seeds of discord.

7. offspring; progeny.

   Synonyms:

   issue, posterity

8. birth.

   not of mortal seed.

9. sperm; semen.

10. the ovum or ova of certain animals, as the lobster and the silkworm moth.

11. seed oyster.

12. a small air bubble in a glass piece, caused by defective firing.

13. Crystallography, Chemistry. a small crystal added to a solution to promote crystallization.

14. Tennis. a player who has been seeded in a tournament.

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verb (used with object)

• seeds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• seeded,
  past participle,  past
• seeding
  present participle

1. to sow (a field, lawn, etc.) with seed.

2. to sow or scatter (seed).

3. to sow or scatter (clouds) with crystals or particles of silver iodide, solid carbon dioxide, etc., to induce precipitation.

4. to place, introduce, etc., especially in the hope of increase or profit.

   to seed a lake with trout.

5. to sprinkle on (a surface, substance, etc.) in the manner of seed.

   to seed an icy bridge with chemicals.

6. to remove the seeds from (fruit).

7. Sports.

   1. to arrange (the drawings for positions in a tournament) so that ranking players or teams will not meet in the early rounds of play.

   2. to distribute (ranking players or teams) in this manner.

8. to develop or stimulate (a business, project, etc.), especially by providing operating capital.

verb (used without object)

• seeds,
  present (3rd person singular)
• seeded,
  past participle,  past
• seeding
  present participle

1. to sow seed.

2. to produce or shed seed.

adjective

1. of or producing seed; used for seed.

   a seed potato.

2. being or providing capital for the initial stages of a new business or other enterprise.

   The research project began with seed donations from the investors.

idioms

1. go / run to seed,

   1. (of the flower of a plant) to pass to the stage of yielding seed.

   2. to lose vigor, power, or prosperity; deteriorate.

      He has gone to seed in the last few years.

2. in seed,

   1. (of certain plants) in the state of bearing ripened seeds.

   2. (of a field, a lawn, etc.) sown with seed.

seed ¹ British  

/ siːd /

noun

1. botany a mature fertilized plant ovule, consisting of an embryo and its food store surrounded by a protective seed coat (testa)

2. the small hard seedlike fruit of plants such as wheat

3. (loosely) any propagative part of a plant, such as a tuber, spore, or bulb

4. such parts collectively

5. the source, beginning, or germ of anything

   the seeds of revolt

6. Bible offspring or descendants

   the seed of Abraham

7. an archaic or dialect term for sperm 1 semen

8. sport a seeded player

9. the egg cell or cells of the lobster and certain other animals

10. See seed oyster

11. chem a small crystal added to a supersaturated solution or supercooled liquid to induce crystallization

12. 1. (of plants) to produce and shed seeds

    2. to lose vigour, usefulness, etc

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verb

1. to plant (seeds, grain, etc) in (soil)

   we seeded this field with oats

2. (intr) (of plants) to form or shed seeds

3. (tr) to remove the seeds from (fruit, etc)

4. (tr) chem to add a small crystal to (a supersaturated solution or supercooled liquid) in order to cause crystallization

5. (tr) to scatter certain substances, such as silver iodide, in (clouds) in order to cause rain

6. (tr)

   1. to arrange (the draw of a tournament) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds

   2. to distribute (players or teams) in this manner

SEED ² British  

abbreviation

1. Scottish Executive Education Department

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seed Scientific  

/ sēd /

1. A mature fertilized ovule of angiosperms and gymnosperms that contains an embryo and the food it will need to grow into a new plant. Seeds provide a great reproductive advantage in being able to survive for extended periods until conditions are favorable for germination and growth. The seeds of gymnosperms (such as the conifers) develop on scales of cones or similar structures, while the seeds of angiosperms are enclosed in an ovary that develops into a fruit, such as a pome or nut. The structure of seeds varies somewhat. All seeds are enclosed in a protective seed coat. In certain angiosperms the embryo is enclosed in or attached to an endosperm, a tissue that it uses as a food source either before or during germination. All angiosperm embryos also have at least one cotyledon. The first seed-bearing plants emerged at least 365 million years ago in the late Devonian Period. Many angiosperms have evolved specific fruits for dispersal of seeds by the wind, water, or animals.

2. See more at germination ovule

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1. To plant seeds in soil.

2. To initiate rainfall or to generate additional rainfall by artificially increasing the precipitation efficiency of clouds.

3. See more at cloud seeding

seed More Idioms  

1. see run to seed.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• seedlessness
  noun
• overseed
  verb
• reseed
  verb
• deseed
  verb (used with object)
• seedless
  adjective
• seedlike
  adjective
• underseeded
  adjective
• unseeded
  adjective
• unseeding
  adjective
• well-seeded
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• seed
  plural
• seeds
  plural

Participles

• seeding
  present
• seeded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• seed
  simple
• seeds
  simple
• have seeded
  perfect
• has seeded
  perfect
• am seeding
  progressive
• are seeding
  progressive
• is seeding
  progressive
• have been seeding
  perfect progressive
• has been seeding
  perfect progressive

Past

• seeded
  simple
• had seeded
  perfect
• was seeding
  progressive
• were seeding
  progressive
• had been seeding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will seed
  simple
• will have seeded
  perfect
• will be seeding
  progressive
• will have been seeding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of seed

before 900; (noun) Middle English sede, side, seed ( e ), Old English sēd, sǣd; cognate with German Saat, Old Norse sāth, Gothic -seths; (v.) Middle English seden to produce seeds, derivative of the noun; akin to sow 1

Explanation

A seed is basically a baby plant — it's the way plants reproduce. One tiny sunflower seed can potentially grow into a sunflower that's ten feet tall. Some seeds are just a tiny speck, others a small pod, and still others a cluster inside a fruit. As a verb, seed means "remove the seeds from," so you can seed a lemon or a pomegranate (and in the latter case, you can then eat the seeds you've seeded). You also seed when you scatter seeds in a garden. Figuratively, seed is often used to mean "provide money to start a business" or "help something grow."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seed SEED seeds seeded seeding

They could pull themselves the rest of the way out of a recent rut with a statement series against their competition for a No. 1 seed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

It sort of looks like a fuzzy seed from a chestnut tree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The Belarusian recovered from a set down to force a decider, but a double fault when serving to stay in the match handed the number 16 seed victory.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Researchers around the world have explored several possible solutions, including different dielectric materials, molecular seed layers, and alternative methods for depositing oxides.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

These trees even needed wildfires to reproduce—their seed cones only opened up when exposed to extreme heat.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

Ms. Foster’s group agreed to deliver $1 million for a new project — SEED, for Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration.

From New York Times ● May 30, 2018

"These studies are really going to fundamentally change the landscape," says Croen, who is a lead investigator on SEED.

From Nature ● Nov. 2, 2011

THE SEED: "The hardest part of this show is coming up with the ideas," says David.

From Time Magazine Archive

"SEED looks like a very innovative model, but it is too early to tell," says Nina Rees, a U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

She said they were important to island ecosystems as they dropped seeds as they foraged, helping forest regeneration, and were a key indicator species for overall ecosystem health.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

I spooned it over the hot toast and finished it with scallions, sesame seeds, black pepper and olive oil.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

The study, published in Nature Communications, found that intense heat can dissolve tiny existing crystals that normally act as "seeds" for the growth of new crystals.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Apple and other customers squeezed suppliers during past downturns, sowing the seeds for current shortages, memory executives say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

With songs and prayers, the seeds sprouted, grew, and shot upward.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

But those involved also highlight the significant risk of failure due to numerous factors, not least because not just any cloud can be seeded.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

There are about 1 million cases a year, according to a 2019 study, and researchers say seeded vegetables like peppers are of particular concern.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

The movie is seeded with nods to Green Day lore, scripted over long sessions riffing with the band over its tour catastrophes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

New Mexico’s nascent free child-care program relies on a new trust fund created in 2020, which has grown from the $300 million that seeded it to $11.7 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

The grasses seeded and were harvested by the mice and the winds.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The plane must "get as close as possible, detect the updrafts, and begin seeding," Aljaberi told AFP on board the flight.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

The effects of boosting rainfall through cloud seeding remain uncertain, its consequences difficult to measure, and its large-scale application costly.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

But these projects are simply two among countless others that have been seeding AI into museums and historical research for well over a decade.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

He credits his mom with seeding his interest in investing: She helped him buy $300 in Apple shares when he was in middle school, working at the lingerie store that she owned in a mall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The chilly air tingled her nose and she noticed that the cotton grasses by the pond were seeding out into white puffs.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• berry
• corn
• egg
• grain
• nut