definitions

germinate

[ jur-muh-neyt ]
/ ˈdʒɜr məˌneɪt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR germinate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), ger·mi·nat·ed, ger·mi·nat·ing.

to begin to grow or develop.
Botany.
  1. to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore, or bulb.
  2. to put forth shoots; sprout; pullulate.
to come into existence; begin.

verb (used with object), ger·mi·nat·ed, ger·mi·nat·ing.

to cause to develop; produce.
to cause to come into existence; create.

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RELATED WORDS

sprout, shoot, develop, swell, originate, pullulate, live, generate, bud, vegetate

Nearby words

germinal localization, germinal membrane, germinal pole, germinal vesicle, germinant, germinate, germination, germinative, germinative layer, germinoma, germiston

Origin of germinate

1600–10; < Latin germinātus (past participle of germināre to sprout, bud), equivalent to germin- (see germinal) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for germinate

British Dictionary definitions for germinate

germinate

/ (ˈdʒɜːmɪˌneɪt) /

verb

to cause (seeds or spores) to sprout or (of seeds or spores) to sprout or form new tissue following increased metabolism
to grow or cause to grow; develop
to come or bring into existence; originatethe idea germinated with me

Derived Forms

germinable or germinative, adjectivegermination, noungerminator, noun

Word Origin for germinate

C17: from Latin germināre to sprout; see germ
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012