seed
seed Lexical Profile
seed Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, fertilized and matured ovule of a flowering plant, containing an embryonic plant and a supply of nutrients enclosed within a protective outer coat, capable of developing into a new plant.
"The gardener planted each tomato seed in a small pot of rich, moist soil."
The edible kernel, grain, or pit of various plants—such as sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, or chia—harvested and consumed whole, roasted, or ground as a nutrient-dense food or culinary ingredient.
"She sprinkled toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds over the fresh green salad for added crunch."
The initial cause, source, or latent beginning of a feeling, condition, idea, or process that continues to develop over time.
"His early travels abroad planted the seed of a lifelong fascination with ancient architecture."
A competitor or team assigned a specific ranking in a tournament draw based on past performance, arranged so that the strongest contenders do not meet in the earliest rounds.
"The defending champion entered the tennis tournament as the top seed."
• verb
To sow or scatter seeds in or over a plot of ground so that plants or crops will grow.
"We plan to aerate and seed the front lawn before the autumn rains arrive."
To remove the seeds or pits from a fruit or vegetable in preparation for cooking or eating.
"Halve and seed the jalapeño peppers before dicing them for the salsa."
To assign a ranking to a player or team in a sports tournament so that the highest-ranked competitors do not face each other in early rounds.
"The committee decided to seed her second in the upcoming championship."
To provide an enterprise, project, or system with initial capital, data, or resources to stimulate its growth or operation.
"The university created a grant program to seed promising renewable energy startups."
• Rhymes for seed
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English sæd, meaning 'that which may be sown', derived from the Proto-Germanic *sædiz and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *se-, meaning 'to sow'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.