# plant

/ˈpɫænt/ (US) · /plˈænt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/plant
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. living organism

noun · CEFR A1

a living thing that grows in the earth and has a stem, leaves, and roots.

For teachers: a multicellular eukaryote, typically photosynthetic, belonging to the kingdom Plantae.

- She watered the plant on her desk every Monday morning.
- The botanist identified a rare plant species that only thrives in the acidic soil of this specific valley.

### 2. factory or facility

noun · CEFR B2

a large factory or a place where power is produced.

For teachers: a building or group of buildings used for industrial processes or power generation.

- The car plant provides jobs for thousands of people in the city.
- The chemical plant underwent a rigorous safety inspection following reports of a minor leak in the cooling system.

### 3. hidden evidence or person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

something or someone hidden secretly to trick people or catch a criminal.

For teachers: an object or person placed surreptitiously to deceive, incriminate, or gather intelligence.

- The lawyer argued that the drugs were a plant by the police.
- The journalist suspected that the man asking aggressive questions was a plant designed to disrupt the press conference.

### 4. to put in the ground

verb · CEFR A1

to put a seed or a young plant into the soil so it can grow.

For teachers: to place seeds, bulbs, or young organisms in a substrate to facilitate growth.

- We plan to plant some apple trees in the garden this spring.
- Farmers in the region usually plant their winter wheat before the first heavy frost arrives in November.

### 5. to place firmly

verb · CEFR B2

to put something down firmly or in a fixed position.

For teachers: to fix or set something securely or steadily in a specific location.

- He planted his feet firmly on the ground and refused to move.
- The security guard planted himself in front of the entrance, blocking anyone without a valid pass from entering the building.

### 6. to hide secretly

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to hide something secretly to trick someone or make them look guilty.

For teachers: to place an object or person surreptitiously for the purpose of deception or entrapment.

- The spy planted a tiny microphone under the wooden table.
- The detective suspected that the rival gang had planted the weapon in the suspect's car to divert attention from the real killer.

## Examples

- Every room in my house has a plant.
- This plant needs a lot of sunlight, so you should keep it near a window.
- The botanist discovered a rare plant species deep in the rainforest, one previously unknown to science and potentially holding medicinal properties.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.