Library / English Dictionary

PLANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion

Synonyms:

flora; plant; plant life

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Hypernyms ("plant" is a kind of...):

being; organism (a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently)

Meronyms (parts of "plant"):

cap; hood (a protective covering that is part of a plant)

plant part; plant structure (any part of a plant or fungus)

Domain category:

botany; phytology (the branch of biology that studies plants)

Domain member category:

botanical medicine; herbal therapy; phytotherapy (the use of plants or plant extracts for medicinal purposes (especially plants that are not part of the normal diet))

micro-organism; microorganism (any organism of microscopic size)

parasite (an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host)

coca (dried leaves of the coca plant (and related plants that also contain cocaine); chewed by Andean people for their stimulating effect)

fugaciousness; fugacity (the lack of enduring qualities (used chiefly of plant parts))

circulation (free movement or passage (as of cytoplasm within a cell or sap through a plant))

botany; flora; vegetation (all the plant life in a particular region or period)

squamule (a minute scale)

nitrification (the oxidation of ammonium compounds in dead organic material into nitrates and nitrites by soil bacteria (making nitrogen available to plants))

perennation (the process of living through a number of years (as a perennial plant))

photosynthesis (synthesis of compounds with the aid of radiant energy (especially in plants))

alder blight (a disease of alders caused by the woolly alder aphid (a plant louse))

peroxidase (any of a group of enzymes (occurring especially in plant cells) that catalyze the oxidation of a compound by a peroxide)

tenderiser; tenderizer (a substance (as the plant enzyme papain) applied to meat to make it tender)

propagate (cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering)

etiolate (bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight)

bruise (damage (plant tissue) by abrasion or pressure)

cultivate; domesticate; naturalise; naturalize; tame (adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment)

accrete (grow together (of plants and organs))

deaden; girdle (cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients)

acid-loving (thriving in a relatively acidic environment (especially of plants requiring a pH well below 7))

alkaline-loving (thriving in a relatively alkaline environment; (especially of plants requiring a pH above 7))

apocarpous ((of ovaries of flowering plants) consisting of carpels that are free from one another as in buttercups or roses)

syncarpous ((of ovaries of flowering plants) consisting of united carpels)

sedgy (covered with sedges (grasslike marsh plants))

floccose ((of plants) having tufts of soft woolly hairs)

hispid ((of animals or plants) having stiff coarse hairs or bristles)

pappose ((of plants such as dandelions and thistles) having pappi or tufts of featherlike hairs or delicate bristles)

carnivorous ((used of plants as well as animals) feeding on animals)

saprophytic ((of some plants or fungi) feeding on dead or decaying organic matter)

insectivorous ((of animals and plants) feeding on insects)

blanched; etiolate; etiolated ((especially of plants) developed without chlorophyll by being deprived of light)

tender ((of plants) not hardy; easily killed by adverse growing condition)

dicotyledonous ((of a flowering plant) having two cotyledons in the seed)

monocotyledonous ((of a flowering plant) having a single cotyledon in the seed as in grasses and lilies)

evergreen ((of plants and shrubs) bearing foliage throughout the year)

deciduous ((of plants and shrubs) shedding foliage at the end of the growing season)

campylotropous ((of a plant ovule) curved with the micropyle near the base almost touching its stalk)

orthotropous ((of a plant ovule) completely straight with the micropyle at the apex)

anatropous; inverted ((of a plant ovule) completely inverted; turned back 180 degrees on its stalk)

amphitropous ((of a plant ovule) partly inverted; turned back 90 degrees on its stalk)

epiphytotic ((of plants) epidemic among plants of a single kind especially over a wide area)

amentaceous; amentiferous ((of plants) bearing or characterized by aments or catkins)

half-hardy ((of plants) requiring protection from frost)

gregarious ((of plants) growing in groups that are close together)

clustered (growing close together but not in dense mats)

ungregarious ((of plants) growing together in groups that are not close together)

caespitose; cespitose; tufted ((of plants) growing in small dense clumps or tufts)

leggy; tall-growing ((of plants) having tall spindly stems)

endangered ((of flora or fauna) in imminent danger of extinction)

threatened ((of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plant"):

myrmecophyte (plant that affords shelter or food to ants that live in symbiotic relations with it)

autophyte; autophytic plant; autotroph; autotrophic organism (plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances)

rock plant (plant that grows on or among rocks or is suitable for a rock garden)

aerophyte; air plant; epiphyte; epiphytic plant (plant that derives moisture and nutrients from the air and rain; usually grows on another plant but not parasitic on it)

poisonous plant (a plant that when touched or ingested in sufficient quantity can be harmful or fatal to an organism)

tracheophyte; vascular plant (green plant having a vascular system: ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms)

garden plant (any of a variety of plants usually grown especially in a flower or herb garden)

houseplant (any of a variety of plants grown indoors for decorative purposes)

gametophyte (the gamete-bearing individual or phase in the life cycle of a plant having alternation of generations)

sporophyte (the spore-producing individual or phase in the life cycle of a plant having alternation of generations)

monocarp; monocarpic plant; monocarpous plant (a plant that bears fruit once and dies)

embryo ((botany) a minute rudimentary plant contained within a seed or an archegonium)

neophyte (a plant that is found in an area where it had not been recorded previously)

hygrophyte (a plant that grows in a moist habitat)

escape (a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild)

perennial ((botany) a plant lasting for three seasons or more)

phytoplankton (photosynthetic or plant constituent of plankton; mainly unicellular algae)

microflora (microscopic plants; bacteria are often considered to be microflora)

crop (a cultivated plant that is grown commercially on a large scale)

endemic (a plant that is native to a certain limited area)

holophyte (an organism that produces its own food by photosynthesis)

non-flowering plant (a plant that does not bear flowers)

plantlet (a young plant or a small plant)

wilding (a wild uncultivated plant (especially a wild apple or crabapple tree))

ornamental (any plant grown for its beauty or ornamental value)

pot plant (a plant suitable for growing in a flowerpot (especially indoors))

acrogen (any flowerless plant such as a fern (pteridophyte) or moss (bryophyte) in which growth occurs only at the tip of the main stem)

apomict (a plant that reproduces or is reproduced by apomixis)

aquatic (a plant that lives in or on water)

cryptogam (formerly recognized taxonomic group including all flowerless and seedless plants that reproduce by means of spores: ferns, mosses, algae, fungi)

annual ((botany) a plant that completes its entire life cycle within the space of a year)

biennial ((botany) a plant having a life cycle that normally takes two seasons from germination to death to complete; flowering biennials usually bloom and fruit in the second season)

Holonyms ("plant" is a member of...):

kingdom Plantae; plant kingdom; Plantae ((botany) the taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct plants)

Derivation:

plant (put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground)

plantal (of or relating to plants)

plantlet (a young plant or a small plant)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Buildings for carrying on industrial labor

Example:

they built a large plant to manufacture automobiles

Synonyms:

industrial plant; plant; works

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("plant" is a kind of...):

building complex; complex (a whole structure (as a building) made up of interconnected or related structures)

Domain member category:

gas system (facility (plant and equipment) for providing natural-gas service)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plant"):

wine maker; winery (an establishment where wine is made)

smelter; smeltery (an industrial plant for smelting)

disposal plant; sewage disposal plant (a plant for disposing of sewage)

saltworks (a plant where salt is produced commercially)

refinery (an industrial plant for purifying a crude substance)

recycling plant (a plant for reprocessing used or abandoned materials)

packing plant; packinghouse (a plant where livestock are slaughtered and processed and packed as meat products)

mint (a plant where money is coined by authority of the government)

factory; manufactory; manufacturing plant; mill (a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing)

distillery; still (a plant and works where alcoholic drinks are made by distillation)

brewery (a plant where beer is brewed by fermentation)

bottling plant (a plant where beverages are put into bottles with caps)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something planted secretly for discovery by another

Example:

he claimed that the evidence against him was a plant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("plant" is a kind of...):

contrivance; dodge; stratagem (an elaborate or deceitful scheme contrived to deceive or evade)

Derivation:

plant (place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An actor situated in the audience whose acting is rehearsed but seems spontaneous to the audience

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("plant" is a kind of...):

actor; histrion; player; role player; thespian (a theatrical performer)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put firmly in the mind

Example:

Plant a thought in the students' minds

Synonyms:

implant; plant

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

communicate; pass; pass along; pass on; put across (transmit information)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

Sentence example:

They won't plant the story

Sense 2

Meaning:

Place something or someone in a certain position in order to secretly observe or deceive

Example:

plant bugs in the dissident's apartment

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

plant (something planted secretly for discovery by another)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fix or set securely or deeply

Example:

The dentist implanted a tooth in the gum

Synonyms:

embed; engraft; imbed; implant; plant

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

enter; infix; insert; introduce (put or introduce into something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plant"):

pot (plant in a pot)

nest (fit together or fit inside)

bury; sink (embed deeply)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

planting (the act of fixing firmly in place)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put or set (seeds, seedlings, or plants) into the ground

Example:

Let's plant flowers in the garden

Synonyms:

plant; set

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

lay; place; pose; position; put; set (put into a certain place or abstract location)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plant"):

tree (plant with trees)

replant (plant again or anew)

afforest; forest (establish a forest on previously unforested land)

dibble (plant with a wooden hand tool)

bed (place (plants) in a prepared bed of soil)

checkrow (plant in checkrows)

puddle (dip into mud before planting)

root (plant by the roots)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They plant rye in the field

Derivation:

plant ((botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

planter (a decorative pot for house plants)

planting (putting seeds or young plants in the ground to grow)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Set up or lay the groundwork for

Example:

establish a new department

Synonyms:

constitute; establish; found; institute; plant

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

initiate; pioneer (take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plant"):

fix (set or place definitely)

appoint; constitute; name; nominate (create and charge with a task or function)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Place into a river

Example:

plant fish

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "plant" is one way to...):

stock (provide or furnish with a stock of something)

Domain category:

animal husbandry (breeding and caring for farm animals)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Credits

 Context examples: 

Having to do with anatomy (the study of the structure of a plant or animal).

(Anatomic, NCI Dictionary)

A family or group of nitrogen-containing base compounds primarily derived from plant and animal sources.

(Alkaloid, NCI Thesaurus)

Ammonia is made by bacteria and decaying plants and animals and is found in water, soil, and air.

(Ammonia, NCI Dictionary)

A report released this week reveals 381 new species of plants and animals found in the Amazon between 2014 and 2015.

(Report unveils 381 new plant and animal species in Amazon, Agência Brasil)

The science concerned with the physical structure of animals and plants.

(Anatomical Sciences, NCI Thesaurus)

Seeds you may have planted at the end of last month will eventually bear great fruit.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The study of the structure of a plant or animal.

(Anatomical Sciences, NCI Dictionary)

The natural extract of tropical rubber plants.

(Natural Rubber, NCI Thesaurus)

Several new kinds of plants sprang up in the garden, which they dressed; and these signs of comfort increased daily as the season advanced.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

A water-soluble vitamin belonging to the vitamin B family, which occurs in many animal and plant tissues, with antihyperlipidemic activity.

(Niacin, NCI Thesaurus)