Meaning & use
implant
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To place something firmly into a surface or material, especially through a medical procedure.
Grammar: Takes an object: implant a device.
Patterns
- implant something in/into something
- implant something with something
The doctor implanted a small pacemaker in his chest.
They implant microchips in pets to help find them if they get lost.
verbtransitivefigurative
To establish an idea, belief, or habit in someone's mind.
Grammar: Often used with 'in' or 'into': implant an idea in someone's mind.
Patterns
- implant something in someone
- implant something into someone
Her teacher implanted a love of reading in her.
The advertisement tried to implant a desire for the product in viewers.
nouncountablemedical
An object surgically placed inside the body for medical or cosmetic purposes.
Grammar: Countable: one implant, two implants.
Patterns
- dental implant
- breast implant
- have an implant
She got a dental implant to replace her missing tooth.
The cochlear implant helped him hear again.
Word forms
| third person singular | implants |
|---|---|
| past tense | implanted |
| past participle | implanted |
| -ing form | implanting |
| plural | implants |
Common combinations
- dental implant
- He needed a dental implant after the accident.
- breast implant
- She decided to have breast implant surgery.
- cochlear implant
- The cochlear implant allowed her to hear sounds.
- implant a device
- Surgeons implanted a device to control his heart rhythm.
- implant an idea
- The teacher implanted an idea of success in her students.
Synonyms and how they differ
- insert
- Insert is more general and can be used for putting something into a space; implant is more specific to medical or permanent placement.
- embed
- Embed means to fix something deeply and firmly, often in a surrounding mass; implant often implies a deliberate medical or mental placement.
- instill
- Instill is used for gradually putting ideas or feelings into someone's mind; implant can be more direct and forceful.
Opposites
Word family
- implantation noun
- The process of implanting something.
- implantable adjective
- Capable of being implanted.
Commonly confused: implant or inplant?
implant vs inplant
Inplant is not a common English word; the correct term is implant.
Practice
The surgeon decided to _____ a stent in the patient's artery.
Choose one answer.
After 'to', we need the base form of the verb, so 'implant' is correct. 'Implanted' is past tense, 'implanting' is -ing form, and 'implants' is third person singular, none of which fit after 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “implant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.