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preemergent

American  
[pree-i-mur-juhnt] / ˌpri ɪˈmɜr dʒənt /
Or pre-emergent

adjective

Horticulture.

  1. of or relating to seedlings before they emerge or appear above ground.

    a preemergent weed-killer.

noun

  1. a preemergence chemical, as a herbicide.

Etymology

Origin of preemergent

First recorded in 1955–60; pre- + emergent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the spray was a preemergent that would carry over into spring to help with weed control.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.