n.
- a living organism of the kind exemplified by trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, and mosses, typically growing in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through the roots, and synthesizing nutrients in the leaves by photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll.
▸a small plant, as distinct from a shrub or tree.
- a place where an industrial or manufacturing process takes place.
▸machinery used in an industrial or manufacturing process.
- a person placed in a group as a spy or informer.
▸a thing put among someone's belongings to incriminate or discredit them.
- Snooker a shot in which the cue ball is made to strike one of two touching or nearly touching balls with the result that the second is potted.
v.
- place (a seed, bulb, or plant) in the ground so that it can grow.
▸
(plant something out)
place a plant in the ground out of doors.
- place or fix in a specified position.
▸secretly place (a bomb).
▸stock a river or lake with (young fish, spawn, oysters, etc.).
- establish (an idea) in someone's mind.
- found or establish (a colony or community).
- put or hide (something) among someone's belongings as a plant.
▸send (someone) to join a group to act as a spy or informer.
Derivative
- plantable adj.
- plantlet n.
- plant-like adj.
Etymology
OE plante ‘seedling’, plantian (v.), from L. planta ‘sprout, cutting’ (later influenced by Fr. plante) and plantare ‘plant, fix in place’.