Meaning & use
plant seed
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To put seeds into the ground so that plants will grow.
Grammar: Takes an object: plant seed(s) in the soil. The noun 'seed' can be singular or plural.
Patterns
- plant seed in something
- plant seed for something
Farmers plant seed in the spring.
She planted seed in small pots on the windowsill.
We need to plant seed before the rain comes.
verbtransitivefigurative
To cause an idea or feeling to begin to develop in someone's mind.
Grammar: Often used with 'of' or 'in': plant the seed of doubt in someone's mind.
Patterns
- plant seed of something
- plant seed in someone
His speech planted the seed of hope in the audience.
The teacher planted seed of curiosity in her students.
That experience planted seed of doubt in his mind.
Word forms
| third person singular | plants seed |
|---|---|
| past tense | planted seed |
| past participle | planted seed |
| -ing form | planting seed |
Common combinations
- plant seed in the ground
- They plant seed in the ground every April.
- plant seed early
- You should plant seed early to get a good harvest.
- plant seed of doubt
- The rumor planted seed of doubt in everyone's mind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sow
- Sow is a more formal or agricultural term for planting seeds, often used in farming contexts.
- seed
- As a verb, 'seed' can mean to plant seeds, but it is less common than 'plant seed' in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- planting noun
- The act of putting plants or seeds in the ground.
- seed noun
- The small part of a plant that can grow into a new plant.
Commonly confused: plant seed or plant a seed?
plant seed vs plant a seed
This is the more common phrasing when talking about one seed; 'plant seed' is often used for the activity in general or with uncountable 'seed'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'plant seed' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses the correct third-person singular form 'plants seed'. Option 1 has wrong subject-verb agreement; option 2 is missing 'ing'; option 3 is past tense and doesn't match the present context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plant seed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.