seed

American  

[seed] / sid /

noun

plural

seeds,

plural

seed

1. the fertilized, matured ovule of a flowering plant, containing an embryo or rudimentary plant.

2. any propagative part of a plant, including tubers, bulbs, etc., especially as preserved for growing a new crop.

3. such parts collectively.

4. any similar small part or fruit.

5. Dialect. pit.

6. the germ or propagative source of anything.

   the seeds of discord.

7. offspring; progeny.

   Synonyms:

   issue, posterity

8. birth.

   not of mortal seed.

9. sperm; semen.

10. the ovum or ova of certain animals, as the lobster and the silkworm moth.

11. seed oyster.

12. a small air bubble in a glass piece, caused by defective firing.

13. Crystallography, Chemistry. a small crystal added to a solution to promote crystallization.

14. Tennis. a player who has been seeded in a tournament.

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verb (used with object)

1. to sow (a field, lawn, etc.) with seed.

2. to sow or scatter (seed).

3. to sow or scatter (clouds) with crystals or particles of silver iodide, solid carbon dioxide, etc., to induce precipitation.

4. to place, introduce, etc., especially in the hope of increase or profit.

   to seed a lake with trout.

5. to sprinkle on (a surface, substance, etc.) in the manner of seed.

   to seed an icy bridge with chemicals.

6. to remove the seeds from (fruit).

7. Sports.

   1. to arrange (the drawings for positions in a tournament) so that ranking players or teams will not meet in the early rounds of play.

   2. to distribute (ranking players or teams) in this manner.

8. to develop or stimulate (a business, project, etc.), especially by providing operating capital.

verb (used without object)

1. to sow seed.

2. to produce or shed seed.

adjective

1. of or producing seed; used for seed.

   a seed potato.

2. being or providing capital for the initial stages of a new business or other enterprise.

   The research project began with seed donations from the investors.

idioms

1. go / run to seed,

   1. (of the flower of a plant) to pass to the stage of yielding seed.

   2. to lose vigor, power, or prosperity; deteriorate.

      He has gone to seed in the last few years.

2. in seed,

   1. (of certain plants) in the state of bearing ripened seeds.

   2. (of a field, a lawn, etc.) sown with seed.

SEED ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Scottish Executive Education Department

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seed ² British  

/ siːd /

noun

1. botany a mature fertilized plant ovule, consisting of an embryo and its food store surrounded by a protective seed coat (testa)

2. the small hard seedlike fruit of plants such as wheat

3. (loosely) any propagative part of a plant, such as a tuber, spore, or bulb

4. such parts collectively

5. the source, beginning, or germ of anything

   the seeds of revolt

6. Bible offspring or descendants

   the seed of Abraham

7. an archaic or dialect term for sperm 1 semen

8. sport a seeded player

9. the egg cell or cells of the lobster and certain other animals

10. See seed oyster

11. chem a small crystal added to a supersaturated solution or supercooled liquid to induce crystallization

12. 1. (of plants) to produce and shed seeds

    2. to lose vigour, usefulness, etc

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verb

1. to plant (seeds, grain, etc) in (soil)

   we seeded this field with oats

2. (intr) (of plants) to form or shed seeds

3. (tr) to remove the seeds from (fruit, etc)

4. (tr) chem to add a small crystal to (a supersaturated solution or supercooled liquid) in order to cause crystallization

5. (tr) to scatter certain substances, such as silver iodide, in (clouds) in order to cause rain

6. (tr)

   1. to arrange (the draw of a tournament) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds

   2. to distribute (players or teams) in this manner

seed Scientific  

/ sēd /

1. A mature fertilized ovule of angiosperms and gymnosperms that contains an embryo and the food it will need to grow into a new plant. Seeds provide a great reproductive advantage in being able to survive for extended periods until conditions are favorable for germination and growth. The seeds of gymnosperms (such as the conifers) develop on scales of cones or similar structures, while the seeds of angiosperms are enclosed in an ovary that develops into a fruit, such as a pome or nut. The structure of seeds varies somewhat. All seeds are enclosed in a protective seed coat. In certain angiosperms the embryo is enclosed in or attached to an endosperm, a tissue that it uses as a food source either before or during germination. All angiosperm embryos also have at least one cotyledon. The first seed-bearing plants emerged at least 365 million years ago in the late Devonian Period. Many angiosperms have evolved specific fruits for dispersal of seeds by the wind, water, or animals.

2. See more at germination ovule

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1. To plant seeds in soil.

2. To initiate rainfall or to generate additional rainfall by artificially increasing the precipitation efficiency of clouds.

3. See more at cloud seeding

seed More Idioms  

1. see run to seed.

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Other Word Forms

• deseed verb (used with object)
• overseed verb
• reseed verb
• seedless adjective
• seedlessness noun
• seedlike adjective
• underseeded adjective
• unseeded adjective
• unseeding adjective
• well-seeded adjective

Etymology

Origin of seed

before 900; (noun) Middle English sede, side, seed ( e ), Old English sēd, sǣd; cognate with German Saat, Old Norse sāth, Gothic -seths; (v.) Middle English seden to produce seeds, derivative of the noun; akin to sow 1

Explanation

A seed is basically a baby plant — it's the way plants reproduce. One tiny sunflower seed can potentially grow into a sunflower that's ten feet tall. Some seeds are just a tiny speck, others a small pod, and still others a cluster inside a fruit. As a verb, seed means "remove the seeds from," so you can seed a lemon or a pomegranate (and in the latter case, you can then eat the seeds you've seeded). You also seed when you scatter seeds in a garden. Figuratively, seed is often used to mean "provide money to start a business" or "help something grow."

Example Sentences

The Lakers were aware that they were playing simultaneously as the Denver Nuggets, the team they were chasing for the third seed in the West.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

"If we weren't doing the work that we're doing, then it's likely that plant populations that will disappear in the future won't have a back up seed collection."

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Because the Lakers won the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, they would get the higher seed over Denver if the two teams finish with identical records.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Wales' seed bank was created in 2018 after the world's largest, the Millennium Seed Bank, found that 75% of Welsh plants had not been banked, said Ellyn.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

“She thinks I'm a bad seed is all.”

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• berry
• corn
• egg
• grain
• nut