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self-sown

American  
[self-sohn] / ˈsɛlfˈsoʊn /

adjective

  1. sown by itself, or without human or animal agency, as of a plant grown from seeds dropped from another plant.

  2. sown by any agency other than humans, as of a plant grown from seeds scattered by birds or the wind.


self-sown British  

adjective

  1. Also: self-seeded. (of plants) growing from seed dispersed by any means other than by the agency of man or animals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of self-sown

First recorded in 1600–10


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.

See Examples For:

A total of 1,245 self-sown Kentish milkwort plants have been recorded at Queendown Warren, near Sittingbourne in Kent – the largest population of the species in the UK.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

Dug was self-sown but Craig-Brown said that with all his subsequent research into giant potatoes, he’s ready to try and deliberately grow a record-breaking monster next season.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

Likewise, self-sown tomato seedlings that pop up in the garden next spring could carry certain pathogens, including Septoria.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2021

He also wrote, “Many plants in this garden are self-sown and they often provide me with excellent ideas.”

From New York Times ● May 9, 2017

In the Moor such self-sown woods come to no ripeness.

From The Broom-Squire by S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

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