planter

American  

[plan-ter, plahn-] / ˈplæn tər, ˈplɑn- /

noun

1. a person who plants.

2. an implement or machine for planting seeds in the ground.

3. the owner or manager of a plantation.

4. History/Historical.  a colonist or new settler.

5. a decorative container, of a variety of sizes and shapes, for growing flowers or ornamental plants.

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planter British  

/ ˈplɑːntə /

noun

1. the owner or manager of a plantation

2. a machine designed for rapid, uniform, and efficient planting of seeds in the ground

3. a colonizer or settler

4. a decorative pot or stand for house plants

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Etymology

Origin of planter

First recorded in 1350–1400, planter is from the Middle English word plaunter. See plant, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Businesses have installed planters and other noisemaking devices to make staying in front of a storefront inconvenient.

From Los Angeles Times

That opened the door to a boom in cotton production, but many more workers would be needed to harvest the crop—a need that planters filled with a massive expansion of slavery.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I personally get mad to see this,” she said, pointing to a planter filled with trash and no garbage can in sight.

From Los Angeles Times

Grizzly bears prowled near the planters’ camp at night.

From New York Times

Galloway dropped to the ground after being hit and scrambled back down the stairs for cover, taking shelter behind a large planter box.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• grower
• laborer
• peasant
• producer
• rancher