Adjacent Words

Seed definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SEED, n.
1. The substance, animal or vegetable, which nature prepares for the reproduction and conservation of the species. The seeds of plants are a deciduous part, containing the rudiments of a new vegetable. In some cases, the seeds costitute the fruit or valuable part of plants, as in the case of wheat and other esculent grain; sometimes the seeds are inclosed in fruit, as in apples and melons. When applied to animal matter, it has no plural.
2. That from which any thing springs; first principle; original; as the seeds of virtue or vice.
3. Principle of production.
Praise of great acts he scatters as a seed. Waller.
4. Progeny; offspring; children; descendants; as the seed of Abraham; the seed of David. In this sense, the word is applied to one person, or to any number collectively, and admits of the plural form; but rarely used in the plural.
5. Race; generation; birth.
Of mortal seed they were not held. Waller.
SEED, v. i.
1. To grow to maturity, so as to produce seed. Maiz will not seed in a cool climate.
2. To shed the seed.
SEED, v. t. To sow; to sprinkle with seed, which germinates and takes root.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a small hard fruit
2: a mature fertilized plant ovule consisting of an embryo and its food source and having a protective coat or testa
3: one of the outstanding players in a tournament [syn: seeded player, seed]
4: anything that provides inspiration for later work [syn: source, seed, germ]
5: the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract [syn: semen, seed, seminal fluid, ejaculate, cum, come] v
1: go to seed; shed seeds; "The dandelions went to seed"
2: help (an enterprise) in its early stages of development by providing seed money
3: bear seeds
4: place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth; "She sowed sunflower seeds" [syn: sow, seed]
5: distribute (players or teams) so that outstanding teams or players will not meet in the early rounds
6: sprinkle with silver iodide particles to disperse and cause rain; "seed clouds"
7: inoculate with microorganisms
8: remove the seeds from; "seed grapes"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural seed or seeds) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English s?d; akin to Old High German s?t seed, Old English s?wan to sow — more at sow Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing (2) the fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant containing an embryo and capable normally of germination to produce a new plant; broadly a propagative plant structure (as a spore or small dry fruit) b. a propagative animal structure: (1) milt, semen (2) a small egg (as of an insect) (3) a developmental form of a lower animal suitable for transplanting; specifically spat c. the condition or stage of bearing seed <in seed> 2. progeny 3. a source of development or growth ; germ <sowed the seeds of discord> 4. something (as a tiny particle or a bubble in glass) that resembles a seed in shape or size 5. a competitor who has been seeded in a tournament <the top seed> • seed adjective • seeded adjective • seedless adjective • seedlike adjective II. verb Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to bear or shed seed 2. to sow seed ; plant transitive verb 1. a. to plant seeds in ; sow <seed a lawn with grass> b. to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development c. inoculate d. to supply with nuclei (as of crystallization or condensation); especially to treat (a cloud) with solid particles to convert water droplets into ice crystals in an attempt to produce precipitation e. to cover or permeate by or as if by scattering something <seeded [the] sea-lanes with thousands of magnetic mines — Otto Friedrich> 2. plant 1a 3. to extract the seeds from (as raisins) 4. a. to schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds b. to rank (a contestant) relative to others in a tournament on the basis of previous record <the top-seeded tennis star>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a a flowering plant's unit of reproduction (esp. in the form of grain) capable of developing into another such plant. b seeds collectively, esp. as collected for sowing (is full of seed; to be kept for seed). 2 a semen. b milt. 3 (foll. by of) prime cause, beginning, germ (seeds of doubt). 4 archaic offspring, progeny, descendants (the seed of Abraham). 5 Sport a seeded player. 6 a small seedlike container for the application of radium etc. 7 a seed crystal. --v. 1 tr. a place seeds in. b sprinkle with or as with seed. 2 intr. sow seeds. 3 intr. produce or drop seed. 4 tr. remove seeds from (fruit etc.). 5 tr. place a crystal or crystalline substance in (a solution etc.) to cause crystallization or condensation (esp. in a cloud to produce rain). 6 tr. Sport a assign to (a strong competitor in a knockout competition) a position in an ordered list so that strong competitors do not meet each other in early rounds (is seeded seventh). b arrange (the order of play) in this way. 7 intr. go to seed. Phrases and idioms: go (or run) to seed 1 cease flowering as seed develops. 2 become degenerate, unkempt, ineffective, etc. raise up seed archaic beget children. seed-bed 1 a bed of fine soil in which to sow seeds. 2 a place of development. seed-cake cake containing whole seeds esp. of caraway as flavouring. seed-coat the outer integument of a seed. seed-corn 1 good quality corn kept for seed. 2 assets reused for future profit or benefit. seed crystal a crystal used to initiate crystallization. seed-eater a bird (esp. a finch) living mainly on seeds. seed-fish a fish that is ready to spawn. seed-leaf a cotyledon. seed-lip a basket for seed in sowing by hand. seed money money allocated to initiate a project. seed-pearl a very small pearl. seed-plot a place of development. seed-potato a potato kept for seed. seed-time the sowing season. seed-vessel a pericarp. Derivatives: seedless adj. Etymology: OE sæd f. Gmc, rel. to SOW(1)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Seed Seed, n.; pl. Seed or Seeds. [OE. seed, sed, AS. s?d, fr. s[=a]wan to sow; akin to D. zaad seed, G. saat, Icel. s[=a]?, s??i, Goth. manas?ps seed of men. world. See Sow to scatter seed, and cf. Colza.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A ripened ovule, consisting of an embryo with one or more integuments, or coverings; as, an apple seed; a currant seed. By germination it produces a new plant. (b) Any small seedlike fruit, though it may consist of a pericarp, or even a calyx, as well as the seed proper; as, parsnip seed; thistle seed. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself. --Gen. i. 11. Note: The seed proper has an outer and an inner coat, and within these the kernel or nucleus. The kernel is either the embryo alone, or the embryo inclosed in the albumen, which is the material for the nourishment of the developing embryo. The scar on a seed, left where the stem parted from it, is called the hilum, and the closed orifice of the ovule, the micropyle. 2. (Physiol.) The generative fluid of the male; semen; sperm; -- not used in the plural. 3. That from which anything springs; first principle; original; source; as, the seeds of virtue or vice. 4. The principle of production. Praise of great acts he scatters as a seed, Which may the like in coming ages breed. --Waller. 5. Progeny; offspring; children; descendants; as, the seed of Abraham; the seed of David. Note: In this sense the word is applied to one person, or to any number collectively, and admits of the plural form, though rarely used in the plural. 6. Race; generation; birth. Of mortal seed they were not held. --Waller. Seed bag (Artesian well), a packing to prevent percolation of water down the bore hole. It consists of a bag encircling the tubing and filled with flax seed, which swells when wet and fills the space between the tubing and the sides of the hole. Seed bud (Bot.), the germ or rudiment of the plant in the embryo state; the ovule. Seed coat (Bot.), the covering of a seed. Seed corn, or Seed grain (Bot.), corn or grain for seed. Seed down (Bot.), the soft hairs on certain seeds, as cotton seed. Seed drill. See 6th Drill, 2 (a) . Seed eater (Zo["o]l.), any finch of the genera Sporophila, and Crithagra. They feed mainly on seeds. Seed gall (Zo["o]l.), any gall which resembles a seed, formed, on the leaves of various plants, usually by some species of Phylloxera. Seed leaf (Bot.), a cotyledon. Seed lobe (Bot.), a cotyledon; a seed leaf. Seed oil, oil expressed from the seeds of plants. Seed oyster, a young oyster, especially when of a size suitable for transplantation to a new locality. Seed pearl, a small pearl of little value. Seed plat, or Seed plot, the ground on which seeds are sown, to produce plants for transplanting; a nursery. Seed stalk (Bot.), the stalk of an ovule or seed; a funicle. Seed tick (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of ticks resembling seeds in form and color. Seed vessel (Bot.), that part of a plant which contains the seeds; a pericarp. Seed weevil (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small weevels, especially those of the genus Apion, which live in the seeds of various plants. Seed wool, cotton wool not yet cleansed of its seeds. [Southern U.S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Seed Seed, n.; pl. Seed or Seeds. [OE. seed, sed, AS. s?d, fr. s[=a]wan to sow; akin to D. zaad seed, G. saat, Icel. s[=a]?, s??i, Goth. manas?ps seed of men. world. See Sow to scatter seed, and cf. Colza.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A ripened ovule, consisting of an embryo with one or more integuments, or coverings; as, an apple seed; a currant seed. By germination it produces a new plant. (b) Any small seedlike fruit, though it may consist of a pericarp, or even a calyx, as well as the seed proper; as, parsnip seed; thistle seed. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself. --Gen. i. 11. Note: The seed proper has an outer and an inner coat, and within these the kernel or nucleus. The kernel is either the embryo alone, or the embryo inclosed in the albumen, which is the material for the nourishment of the developing embryo. The scar on a seed, left where the stem parted from it, is called the hilum, and the closed orifice of the ovule, the micropyle. 2. (Physiol.) The generative fluid of the male; semen; sperm; -- not used in the plural. 3. That from which anything springs; first principle; original; source; as, the seeds of virtue or vice. 4. The principle of production. Praise of great acts he scatters as a seed, Which may the like in coming ages breed. --Waller. 5. Progeny; offspring; children; descendants; as, the seed of Abraham; the seed of David. Note: In this sense the word is applied to one person, or to any number collectively, and admits of the plural form, though rarely used in the plural. 6. Race; generation; birth. Of mortal seed they were not held. --Waller. Seed bag (Artesian well), a packing to prevent percolation of water down the bore hole. It consists of a bag encircling the tubing and filled with flax seed, which swells when wet and fills the space between the tubing and the sides of the hole. Seed bud (Bot.), the germ or rudiment of the plant in the embryo state; the ovule. Seed coat (Bot.), the covering of a seed. Seed corn, or Seed grain (Bot.), corn or grain for seed. Seed down (Bot.), the soft hairs on certain seeds, as cotton seed. Seed drill. See 6th Drill, 2 (a) . Seed eater (Zo["o]l.), any finch of the genera Sporophila, and Crithagra. They feed mainly on seeds. Seed gall (Zo["o]l.), any gall which resembles a seed, formed, on the leaves of various plants, usually by some species of Phylloxera. Seed leaf (Bot.), a cotyledon. Seed lobe (Bot.), a cotyledon; a seed leaf. Seed oil, oil expressed from the seeds of plants. Seed oyster, a young oyster, especially when of a size suitable for transplantation to a new locality. Seed pearl, a small pearl of little value. Seed plat, or Seed plot, the ground on which seeds are sown, to produce plants for transplanting; a nursery. Seed stalk (Bot.), the stalk of an ovule or seed; a funicle. Seed tick (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of ticks resembling seeds in form and color. Seed vessel (Bot.), that part of a plant which contains the seeds; a pericarp. Seed weevil (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small weevels, especially those of the genus Apion, which live in the seeds of various plants. Seed wool, cotton wool not yet cleansed of its seeds. [Southern U.S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Seed Seed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Seeded; p. pr. & vb. n. Seeding.] 1. To sprinkle with seed; to plant seeds in; to sow; as, to seed a field. 2. To cover thinly with something scattered; to ornament with seedlike decorations. A sable mantle seeded with waking eyes. --B. Jonson. To seed down, to sow with grass seed.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(seeds, seeding, seeded) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A seed is the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant grows. I sow the seed in pots of soil-based compost. ...sunflower seeds. N-VAR 2. If you seed a piece of land, you plant seeds in it. Men mowed the wide lawns and seeded them... The primroses should begin to seed themselves down the steep hillside. ...his newly seeded lawns. VERB: V n, V pron-refl, V-ed 3. You can refer to the seeds of something when you want to talk about the beginning of a feeling or process that gradually develops and becomes stronger or more important. (LITERARY) He raised questions meant to plant seeds of doubts in the minds of jurors... N-PLURAL: N of n 4. In sports such as tennis or badminton, a seed is a player who has been ranked according to his or her ability. ...Pete Sampras, Wimbledon's top seed and the world No.1... N-COUNT: usu supp N, oft ord/num N 5. When a player or a team is seeded in a sports competition, they are ranked according to their ability. In the UEFA Cup the top 16 sides are seeded for the first round... He is seeded second, behind Brad Beven... The top four seeded nations are through to the semi-finals. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed adv/prep, V-ed ord, V-ed 6. If vegetable plants go to seed or run to seed, they produce flowers and seeds as well as leaves. If unused, winter radishes run to seed in spring. PHRASE: V inflects 7. If you say that someone or something has gone to seed or has run to seed, you mean that they have become much less attractive, healthy, or efficient. He was a big man in his forties; once he had a lot of muscle but now he was running to seed. PHRASE: V inflects

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sed (Old Testament always for zera`, Aramaic (Da 2:43) zera`, except in Joe 1:17 for perudhoth (plural, the Revised Version (British and American) "seeds," the King James Version "seed"), and Le 19:19 (the King James Version "mingled seed") and De 22:9 (the King James Version "divers seeds") for kil'ayim, literally, "two kinds," the Revised Version (British and American) "two kinds of seed." Invariably in Greek Apocrypha and usually in the New Testament for sperma, but Mr 4:26,27; Lu 8:5,11; 2Co 9:10 for sporos, and 1Pe 1:23 for spora):

(1) For "seed" in its literal sense see AGRICULTURE. Of interest is the method of measuring land by means of the amount of seed that could be sown on it (Le 27:16). The prohibition against using two kinds of seed in the same field (Le 19:19; De 22:9) undoubtedly rests on the fact that the practice had some connection with Canaanitish worship, making the whole crop "consecrated" (taboo). Jer 31:27 uses "seed of man" and "seed of beast" as a figure for the means by which God will increase the prosperity of Israel (i.e. "seed yielding men").

(2) For the transferred physiological application of the word to human beings (Le 15:16, etc.) see CLEAN; UNCLEANNESS. The conception of Christians as "born" or "begotten" of God (see REGENERATION) gave rise to the figure in 1Pe 1:23; 1 Joh 3:9. If the imagery is to be stressed, the Holy Spirit is meant. In I Joh 3:9 a doctrine of certain Gnostics is opposed. They taught that by learning certain formulas and by submitting to certain rites, union with God and salvation could be attained without holiness of life. John's reply is that union with a righteous God is meaningless without righteousness as an ideal, even though shortcomings exist in practice (1 Joh 1:8).

(3) From the physiological use of "seed" the transition to the sense of "offspring" was easy, and the word may mean "children" (Le 18:21, etc.) or even a single child (Ge 4:25; 1Sa 1:11 the Revised Version margin). Usually, however, it means the whole posterity (Ge 3:15, etc.); compare "seed royal" (2Ki 11:1, etc.), and "Abraham's seed" (2Ch 20:7, etc.) or "the holy seed" (Ezr 9:2; Isa 6:13; /RAPC 1Es 8:70; compare Jer 2:21) as designations of Israel. So "to show one's seed" (Ezr 2:59;, Ne 7:61) is to display one's genealogy, and "one's seed" may be simply one's nation, conceived of as a single family (Es 10:3). From this general sense there developed a still looser use of "seed" as meaning simply "men" (Mal 2:15; Isa 1:4; 57:4; /RAPC Wis 10:15; 12:11, etc.).

In Ga 3:16 Paul draws a distinction between "seeds" and "seed" that has for its purpose a proof that the promises to Abraham were realized in Christ and not in Israel. The distinction, however, overstresses the language of the Old Testament, which never pluralizes zera` when meaning "descendants" (plural only in 1Sa 8:15; compare Ro 4:18; 9:7). But in an argument against rabbinical adversaries Paul was obliged to use rabbinical methods (compare Ga 4:25). For modern purposes it is probably best to treat such an exegetical method as belonging simply to the (now superseded) science of the times.

Burton Scott Easton

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Semen, sperm. 2. (Bot.) Embryo (with its envelope or pericarp), matured ovule, kernel, grain. 3. Original, first principle, germ. 4. Progeny, offspring, descendants, children. 5. Race, generation, birth.

Moby Thesaurus

Anlage, acorn, affiliation, androcyte, antheridium, antherozoid, apparentation, basis, bed, berry, bird seed, birth, blood, bloodline, branch, breed, broadcast, brood, bud, bulb, cause, children, common ancestry, conceit, concept, conception, consanguinity, core, corm, decay, decline, degenerate, derivation, descendants, descent, deteriorate, dibble, direct line, disseminate, distaff side, distribute, drill, egg, embryo, extraction, family, female line, filiation, flaxseed, forest, fruit, germ, germen, go downhill, go to pot, grain, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, grounds, hayseed, heirs, hostages to fortune, house, image, implant, impression, inheritors, inseminate, issue, kernel, kids, line, line of descent, lineage, linseed, little ones, loins, male gamete, male line, milt, motivation, motive, new generation, notion, nucleus, nut, offspring, origin, ovule, ovum, phylum, pip, pit, pitch, plant, pollen, posterity, pot, progeniture, progeny, protein, provocation, put in, race, reason, reforest, reset, retimber, rising generation, root, rudiment, run down, scatter, scatter seed, scum, seed down, semen, seminal fluid, seminate, sept, set, side, sons, source, sow, sow broadcast, spark, spear side, sperm, sperm cell, spermagonium, spermatic fluid, spermatid, spermatiophore, spermatium, spermatocyte, spermatogonium, spermatophore, spermatozoa, spermatozoid, spermatozoon, spindle side, spore, stem, stirps, stock, stone, strain, succession, successors, sword side, transplant, treasures, tuber, young, younglings, youngsters