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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Despite having an implant, eye drops and other protective measures, the force said her eye condition - which Luna was born with - meant she was always going to lose sight in the affected eye.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

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

Patel, who is part of the lab, likens it to “a cochlear implant for the nose.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Jam rubbed her upper arm as they stepped outside after the movie; the theater had been chilly, and sometimes the hormone implant in her arm ached when she got cold.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Related Words

• embed
• fix
• instill