germinate
[ jur-muh-neyt ]
/ ˈdʒɜr məˌneɪt /
verb (used without object), ger·mi·nat·ed, ger·mi·nat·ing.
to begin to grow or develop.
Botany.
- to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore, or bulb.
- 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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Origin of germinate
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences 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 of germinate
germinable or germinative, adjectivegermination, noungerminator, nounWord Origin for germinate
C17: from Latin germināre to sprout; see germ
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