seedling
n.a very young plant that has just started to grow from a seed. It is still very small and needs careful care to survive.
n.a young plant in its earliest stage of growth, typically before it has developed true leaves. Refers to the initial phase between germination and the establishment of a mature root system.
“The seedling needs plenty of water and sunlight to grow.”
“After the last frost, the gardener moved the tomato seedling to a larger pot to encourage stronger root development.”
“While the seedling appeared healthy in the greenhouse, it struggled to adapt to the harsher conditions of the open field, eventually succumbing to a sudden temperature drop.”
“Trees from warmer and drier climates tended to produce heavier seeds, seedlings that developed more quickly and taller seedlings after one year.”
From seed + -ling.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.