implant

American  

[im-plant, -plahnt, im-plant, -plahnt] / ɪmˈplænt, -ˈplɑnt, ˈɪmˌplænt, -ˌplɑnt /

verb (used with object)

1. to put or fix firmly.

   to implant sound principles in a child's mind.

2. to plant securely.

3. Medicine/Medical. to insert or graft (a tissue, organ, or inert substance) into the body.

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noun

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. any device or material, especially of an inert substance, used for repairing or replacing part of the body.

   2. medication or radioactive material inserted into tissue for sustained therapy.

   3. implantation.

2. Dentistry.

   1. an artificial tooth that has been inserted permanently into the jaw.

   2. a metal framework attached to the bones of the jaw for supporting artificial teeth.

implant British  

verb

1. to establish firmly; inculcate; instil

   to implant sound moral principles

2. to plant or embed; infix; entrench

3. surgery

   1. to graft (a tissue) into the body

   2. to insert (a radioactive substance, hormone, etc) into the tissues

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noun

1. anything implanted, esp surgically, such as a tissue graft or hormone

implant Scientific  

1. Something that is placed, usually surgically, within a living body, as grafted tissue or a medical device, such as a pacemaker.

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1. To become attached to and embedded in the maternal uterine lining. Used of a fertilized egg.

Other Word Forms

• implanter noun
• unimplanted adjective

Etymology

Origin of implant

First recorded in 1535–45; im- ¹ + plant

Explanation

When you implant something, you place or embed it solidly: you might implant marbles in the damp concrete of a newly poured sidewalk, for example. There are a couple of different ways to implant something — the first is to physically fix an item deeply, the way you might implant a croquet wicket in the ground. A more figurative way to implant is to settle an idea into someone's mind. You could accidentally implant a fear of highway driving in your younger brother's mind, for example, by telling him stories of traffic accidents. Implant comes from the French word implanter, "to insert."

Example Sentences

Boston Scientific stock tumbled 9% after the company posted mixed data for its Watchman heart implant.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Still, Dorsheimer said the impending merger with Veeco “will complement Axcelis’s singular focus on ion implant and cast a wider net to cover semiconductor capital equipment.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 28, 2026

"As far as we know, this is the smallest neural implant that will measure electrical activity in the brain and then report it out wirelessly," Molnar said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 24, 2026

Anti-rejection drugs were not needed as the implant was grown using the animals own cells.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

“In order to comply with these demands, I ask that everyone make their way to the Gathering Place to report whether you have an implant or not,” he says.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• embed
• fix
• instill