seed 1 of 2

noun

ˈsēd How to pronounce seed (audio)
Definition of seednext
1
as in root
the source from which something grows or develops ancient Greece provided the seed for much of Western civilization's political and philosophical thought

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2
as in offspring
the descendants of a person, animal, or plant the famous stallion's seed can be found on racetracks all over the world

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

seed

2 of 2

verb

as in to plant
to put or set into the ground to grow seeded grass in the backyard

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of seed
Noun
He’s played by Orlando Bloom, who really does look the part of the heartbreaker-gone-a-bit-to-seed. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame seeds over, then the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Verb
The compensation package also includes a new Player Support Program seeded with an initial $2 million commitment in 2026, equally split between men and women players. — Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 That literally seemingly has injected and seeded lies into the environment. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for seed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seed
  1. root
  2. offspring
  3. plant
  4. origin
  5. fruit
  6. germ
  7. beginning
Noun
  • Paul Johnson, former director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, attributes the root cause to sluggish economic growth.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Over the next several decades, Mexican American families poured in and set down roots.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of root
Noun
  • Their efforts to hatch and raise offspring at their nest in Southern California became popular with live cam viewers.
    — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Concurrent surrogacy is used to increase the odds of having a child — in some instances, for rich, single men to create as many of their biological offspring as their egos demand.
    — Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of offspring
Verb
  • The island, just over 2 miles long, was created in the late 1960s from sand dredged during the deepening of the Elbe shipping channel that serves the port of Hamburg, then left to itself and gradually planted over.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Standing at two hours and 30 minutes, along with a 15-minute intermission, the narrative plants you in the middle of a world of ironies.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of plant
Noun
  • Most also agree on the origin of the beans, which are said to come from the low valleys and mountain slopes of the Andes in Peru.
    — Margy Rochlin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The actor opened up about the origins of his steely exterior in a 2023 interview with USA TODAY.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of origin
Noun
  • Their ripe fruit can fall and stain sidewalks and patios, so make sure the tree has plenty of room away from those areas in your yard.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Today’s recipe Cooking editor Cody Reiss’ recipe for fruit salad is a bit chaotic (like a big bowl of summer jewels floating in a tutti-frutti brodo).
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of fruit
Noun
  • Wastewater tracking is the testing of community sewage for viruses and other germs to help health officials monitor disease spread and trends, often before cases show up in clinical testing data.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The portable machine uses pulses of full-spectrum ultraviolet light to kill infectious germs inside hospital rooms.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of germ
Noun
  • The question that matters most A famous name should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end of it.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The new findings indicate that last year’s increases were a momentary surge, rather than the beginning of a positive trend.
    — Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of beginning

Phrases Containing seed

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see after
seed
seedbed
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Cite this Entry

“Seed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seed. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on seed

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about seed

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