# seed

/ˈsid/ (US) · /sˈiːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/seed
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. plant part

noun · CEFR A2

the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant can grow.

For teachers: the unit of reproduction of a flowering plant, capable of developing into another such plant.

- He pushed a sunflower seed into the soil and watered it.
- The farmer selected the highest quality seed to ensure a resilient crop that could withstand the predicted summer drought.

### 2. origin of an idea

noun · CEFR B2

the beginning of a feeling, an idea, or a process.

For teachers: the initial stage or precursor of a developing process or abstract concept.

- The conversation planted a seed of doubt in her mind about the plan.
- The professor's lecture on renewable energy sowed the seeds of a lifelong passion for environmental activism in his students.

### 3. sports ranking

noun · CEFR B2

a player or team's rank in a competition, used to decide who plays whom.

For teachers: the position or ranking assigned to a competitor in a tournament bracket to prevent top players from meeting in early rounds.

- The top seed won the tennis match easily in just two sets.
- Despite being the number one seed, the defending champion was eliminated in the first round by an unranked newcomer.

### 4. to plant

verb · CEFR B1

to put seeds into the ground so that they can grow.

For teachers: to sow an area of land with seeds; to plant a crop.

- The gardener spent the afternoon seeding the new lawn.
- After the spring thaw, the workers began seeding the fields with wheat before the heavy rains arrived.

### 5. to rank in sports

verb · CEFR B2

to give a player or team a rank in a tournament.

For teachers: to arrange the position of players or teams in a tournament bracket according to their perceived skill level.

- The tournament organisers decided to seed the players based on their world rankings.
- By seeding the top four teams in separate brackets, the committee ensured a more competitive and profitable final weekend.

### 6. to share files

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical · Informal

to keep a file available on your computer so other people can download it.

For teachers: to provide data for other users in a peer-to-peer network by keeping a completed file available for upload.

- Please continue seeding the file after your download finishes so others can get it too.
- The community relies on users who seed large files for weeks, maintaining the health of the network for everyone else.

### 7. to trigger rain

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to drop chemicals into clouds to try and make it rain.

For teachers: to drop substances such as silver iodide into clouds to encourage condensation and precipitation.

- The government tried seeding the clouds to end the long drought.
- Meteorologists debated the ethical implications of seeding clouds to divert rainfall away from the flooded coastal regions.

## Examples

- I planted a sunflower seed in a small pot.
- The farmer saved the best seed from this year's harvest to ensure a high-quality crop next spring.
- While the outer shell of the seed protects the embryo during dormancy, it must eventually crack to allow the internal nutrients to fuel the first stages of germination.

---

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.