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Glite Dictionary
🌱 Before plants appear 🧪 A weed preventer
preemergent

preemergent

7.5
Put on soil before plants or weeds appear
  • adjective
  • /priːˈɛmərdʒənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : preemergente
  • Using a preemergent product can help keep your lawn free of unwanted plants.

Examples

  • The preemergent treatment must be used before the seeds begin to sprout.

  • Gardeners often apply preemergent herbicides in early spring to prevent weed growth.

  • The gardener applied a preemergent herbicide to control weeds.

  • Using a preemergent treatment can save you time later.

  • Farmers often apply a preemergent treatment to control weeds before their seeds can sprout.

  • Using preemergent solutions is essential for maintaining a healthy lawn, as they prevent unwanted plants from taking root.

  • Many gardeners rely on preemergent methods to stop weed growth before it even begins.

Synonyms

prevenient
vspreemergent
  • Formal
1 9.9

Happening before something else

is specific to the time before plant or weed appearance
preemergence
vspreemergent
  • Specialized
7.8

Happening before plants appear to prevent weed growth

is the adjective form used to describe things before emergence

Surface Forms

preemergent positive

Morphology

preemergent = emergent (transparent) = pre + emerge + ent

Adding 'pre-' to 'emergent' straightforwardly gives the meaning 'before emergence or before becoming apparent'.

Etymology

The word preemergent comes from pre- ('before') and emerge ('to come out'). So, as an adjective it describes something used 'before' plants or weeds 'come out of the ground', which is why it helps stop them from appearing.