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Glite Dictionary
plant material

plant material

3 3.0
Parts of trees and other green growing things like leaves, stems or roots
  • noun
  • /plænt məˈtɪəriəl/
translation icon : material vegetal
  • But negotiations are continuing for trades of the plant material itself.
  • restoration plant materials
  • ecologically appropriate plant materials
  • appropriate plant materials

That old plant material is part of the new plant as well.

Examples

  • The University of Minnesota plans to use biomass such as cornstalks, wood, or other plant materials for energy.

    Academic text (2006)

  • "It's easier to clear everything out rather than try to work around existing plant material.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • That old plant material is part of the new plant as well.

    MIgardener

  • But humans do not just eat a huge quantity of plant material; they also consume a significant number of plant species.

    Academic text (2008)

  • I have many other examples where locally available plant material is used for treating diseases.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • But there wasn't enough plant material to feed insects to allow the tests to start.

    Academic text (2005)

  • The floor was soft with a mix of dirt, plaster, and decomposing plant material.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • An impressive body of evidence indicates that contemporary primate diets are dominated by plant materials.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Both isopods and amphipods are mainly scavengers, which means they eat dead animal and plant material.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The gardens demonstrate the diversity of plant material growing in the Rocky Mountain region.

Synonyms

vegetable matter
vsplant material
1 3.2

Parts of plants, such as leaves and stems, that can rot

is narrower, pointing to usable parts rather than all residues
plant substance
vsplant material
3.8

A material that comes from plants, like leaves, roots, or oils

is limited to tangible parts such as leaves stems roots and fibers

How Humified

humus
  • Specialized
2 5.8
humification
  • Specialized
9.7
decomposition
  • Specialized
23 5.3
plant material
3 3.0

Surface Forms

plant material singular
plant materials plural

Morphology

plant + material

The meaning 'substance derived from plants' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'plant' (a photosynthetic organism) with 'material' (a substance). This is a regular noun–noun compound found across languages and follows straightforward compositional semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Plant material gives a clear picture: plant means the green living thing and material means the stuff that comes from it. So it refers to the 'stuff that comes from plants', like leaves, stems and roots, which people and animals use for compost, to build nests, or for scientists to study.