transplant
Americanverb (used with object)
-
transplants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transplanted,
past participle, past
-
transplanting
present participle
-
to remove (a plant) from one place and plant it in another.
-
Surgery. to transfer (an organ, tissue, etc.) from one part of the body to another or from one person or animal to another.
-
to move from one place to another.
-
to bring (a family, colony, etc.) from one country, region, etc., to another for settlement; relocate.
verb (used without object)
-
transplants,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transplanted,
past participle, past
-
transplanting
present participle
noun
-
transplants
plural
-
the act or process of transplanting.
-
a plant, organ, person, etc., that has been transplanted.
verb
-
(tr) to remove or transfer (esp a plant) from one place to another
-
(intr) to be capable of being transplanted
-
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
-
A plant that has been uprooted and replanted.
-
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.
-
See also graft
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
retransplantationnoun
-
transplantationnoun
-
transplanternoun
-
retransplantverb (used with object)
-
transplantableadjective
-
untransplantedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
transplantsimple
-
transplantssimple
-
have transplantedperfect
-
has transplantedperfect
-
am transplantingprogressive
-
are transplantingprogressive
-
is transplantingprogressive
-
have been transplantingperfect progressive
-
has been transplantingperfect progressive
Past
-
transplantedsimple
-
had transplantedperfect
-
was transplantingprogressive
-
were transplantingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Chocolate War
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 29–February 4, 2022
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
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
I had had a kidney transplant from Phillip Palmer, who’s the morning anchor at ABC7, and it was a really big story back in 2007.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 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
Having played 11-a-side football in the ninth tier of English football before his surgery, he became a game-changing new addition to the national transplant team when he joined up with the squad in January 2026.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
I have learned to deal with the fact that I might not make it through the transplant.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
While the second of the two liver transplants was successful, Campbell suffered further complications.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 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
Stem cell transplants may be able to repair damage caused by stroke, according to researchers at the University of Zurich.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
College-educated transplants would flood to the orbits of Austin, Houston, and Dallas.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
El Patron, too, had created clones to provide himself with transplants.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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
Adriaen van der Donck was a lawyer who in 1641 transplanted himself to the Hudson River Valley, then part of the Dutch colony of Nieuw Nederland.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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
Revitalizing T-cells by transplanting healthy mitochondria could strengthen existing treatments like CAR-T cell therapy.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2025
She was a master gardener, expert at transplanting Japanese maples, according to her neighbor, Patty Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025
To celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary, they're transplanting the event from Seoul to Middlesex.
From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2025
The transplanting would also need to be done perfectly, but Jiichan was most worried about the “foundation.”
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
