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Glite Dictionary
seedling

seedling

20 2.8
A young plant that grows from a seed before it has adult leaves
  • noun
  • /ˈsiːd.lɪŋ/
: plántula
  • Lila gave the boy a red water pail, and he nurtured the seedlings as best he could.
  • plant seedlings
  • tree seedlings
  • seedling growth

So they've seen it right from seedling to fully grown plant.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • After planting the seeds, we were excited to see the first seedlings sprout in the garden.

  • Starting with the seedling, make sure that you water the plant, OK?

    First We Feast

  • Well, then we take our little seedling and pop it in.

  • We're seeing how the seedlings are coming out.

  • We plant seedlings every time we harvest.

    Prophecy (1979)

  • The Greenway Trust plans to return to these sites to plant tree seedlings next spring.

    Academic text (1995)

  • In spring 1998, we will plant white pine seedlings and follow their survival and growth characteristics.

    Academic text (1997)

  • This is a great method for starting those finicky seedlings that don't like root disturbance like the beans.

  • "Rain shortly after planting can form a crust that seedlings can't penetrate," he says.

    Academic text (1997)

  • In the greenhouse, we carefully monitored the growth of each seedling to ensure they remained healthy.

Synonyms

sprout
vsseedling
61 1.8

A young shoot on a plant that grows from a seed

develops into a small young plant later, before adult leaves or transplant
germinant
vsseedling
  • Specialized
7.8

A seed or spore that is starting to grow

represents a later stage as a small plant after the first growth

Antonyms

adult
478 1.0

Fully grown and mature

Compounds

Bramley's Seedling
  • UK
1 7.7

A large green apple that tastes tart and is best for cooking

How Developed

matured
2 2.6
sapling
15 2.7
seedling
20 2.8
sprout
61 1.8
seed
381 1.0

Surface Forms

seedling singular
seedlings plural

Morphology

seedling = seed (transparent) = seed + ling

Formed from 'seed' + the diminutive/young suffix '-ling'; meaning is directly derived: a young plant grown from a seed.

Etymology

The word seedling is made of seed and the ending -ling, which means 'small' or 'young', as in duckling. So a seedling is a baby plant that has grown from a seed.