transplant
Americanverb (used with object)
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transplants,
present (3rd person singular)
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transplanted,
past participle, past
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transplanting
present participle
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to remove (a plant) from one place and plant it in another.
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Surgery. to transfer (an organ, tissue, etc.) from one part of the body to another or from one person or animal to another.
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to move from one place to another.
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to bring (a family, colony, etc.) from one country, region, etc., to another for settlement; relocate.
verb (used without object)
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transplants,
present (3rd person singular)
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transplanted,
past participle, past
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transplanting
present participle
noun
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transplants
plural
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the act or process of transplanting.
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a plant, organ, person, etc., that has been transplanted.
verb
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(tr) to remove or transfer (esp a plant) from one place to another
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(intr) to be capable of being transplanted
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surgery to transfer (an organ or tissue) from one part of the body to another or from one person or animal to another during a grafting or transplant operation
noun
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A plant that has been uprooted and replanted.
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A surgical procedure in a human or animal in which a body tissue or organ is transferred from a donor to a recipient or from one part of the body to another. Heart, lung, liver, kidney, corneal, and bone-marrow transplants are performed to treat life-threatening illness. Donated tissue must be histocompatible with that of the recipient to prevent immunological rejection.
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See also graft
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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retransplantationnoun
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transplantationnoun
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transplanternoun
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retransplantverb (used with object)
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transplantableadjective
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untransplantedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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transplantsimple
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transplantssimple
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have transplantedperfect
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has transplantedperfect
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am transplantingprogressive
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are transplantingprogressive
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is transplantingprogressive
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have been transplantingperfect progressive
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has been transplantingperfect progressive
Past
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transplantedsimple
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had transplantedperfect
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was transplantingprogressive
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were transplantingprogressive
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had been transplantingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of transplant
1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin trānsplantāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + plantāre to plant
Explanation
Use the verb transplant to describe what you do when you move a cactus into a bigger container, or what a doctor does when she places a donor organ — like a kidney or lung — into the body of a patient. When you transplant your favorite rose bush, you carefully dig it up and re-plant it in another spot in the yard, maybe one that gets more sunlight. You can also use the word as a noun to describe the act of doing such a thing: "The liver transplant was a success." The word's origin is simple: the Latin trans, or "across," plus plantare, which means "to plant."
Vocabulary lists containing transplant
“For the Herd’s Sake, Vaccinate" by Steven L. Weinreb
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The Chocolate War
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 29–February 4, 2022
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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:
Researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified five biologically distinct forms of the condition, each associated with different risks of serious health complications, including heart disease, liver failure, cancer, and the need for a liver transplant.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
His patient, a young Albanian man, died after a bone marrow transplant in East London.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Herman, a German transplant who has been in L.A. since 1977, is an artist whose vividly rendered paintings cemented him as one of the West Coast leaders of the ’80s neo-Expressionist movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In separate tests, researchers found that EMR might be able to reverse some chemical-caused cloudiness to the cornea -- a condition that is currently only treatable through a complete corneal transplant.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
He’d have to tell Leslie about wanting a gut transplant.
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
When Xi took office in 2012, many Uyghurs resented what they saw as mistreatment by Han transplants, such as discrimination in hiring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
It’s no surprise that more than a few famous transplants have decided to relocate to this hospitable location.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
The consumer show's notable items, according to her website, external, included "talking dogs, Jobsworth Awards and campaigns on behalf of abused children, organ transplants, safe playgrounds, and to provide justice for consumers".
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
In-N-Out is a well-regarded brand, and its classic Americana menu is popular among transplants to Southern states, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
The campus was impressive for what happened within its walls: chest crackings, organ transplants, molecular imagings, genetic probes, and virtually any other medical service known in the advanced world.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
We have begun hosting educational workshops promoting organ donation in memory of an alumnus who was killed—and whose organs have been transplanted in five others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
If the graft has enough room and a sufficient blood supply, the transplanted hepatocytes can perform functions similar to those of cells inside the liver itself.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
The feat followed trial and error that initially saw him mollycoddle corals in stress-free environments, but those easily perished in the ocean once transplanted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The situation led to his decision to stop taking medication that was needed to ensure the continued functioning of a transplanted kidney his brother had donated to him.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Today, hearts can be repaired and even transplanted.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Duwai said Naidiri is now transplanting their heat-resistant corals to deeper, cooler waters close to the capital Suva to further protect from future heatwaves.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Clutching a mysterious tool the shape of a mouse coffin, Firth’s villain tracks Daniel’s location by mentally transplanting himself into another person’s body, changing the color of their pupils to his own icy blue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
In practice, he argues, many innovations grow out of existing ones, often by borrowing or transplanting concepts from one field to another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
To isolate each group, the researchers designed an unusual experiment that involved transplanting different types of microglia into mice that lacked microglia entirely.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 13, 2025
At that point Mama, Hanako, and Akira would help with the transplanting.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
