seed money
10
3.6
- noun
- /siːd ˈmʌni/
:
capital semilla
- A $10,000 grant provided the seed money to establish the Artemis Fund, which is governed by bylaws written by the students.
- provide seed money
- federal seed money
- grant provided seed money
Examples
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Their project gained traction after receiving seed money from local investors.
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They're going to put in half a million as seed money.
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So, that leaves me with just my very small amount of seed money.
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This is seed money for the business you do come up with.
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Just 50 grand in seed money.
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I need a plane ticket this time and some seed money.
Fiction book (1995) -
But that federal help is seed money.
Academic text (2004) -
And so we created something over the weekend, and that was the seed money to put T-shirts in our own store.
-
Paul Allen provided the original seed money, and from what I've read, private investment is funding the rest.
Blog text (6) -
During the 1990s, foundation and federal funds provided seed money for programs connecting campuses and communities across the country.
Academic text (2006)
Synonyms
670
2.6
Money that an organization or government gives for a project
179
3.2
Giving money for a certain purpose, for example starting a business or buying a house
4
3.1
Money given to help a project, business, or person
Money kept to pay for a planned new project or a large cost
How Much
- Specialized
32
4.6
10
3.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'seed' (used metaphorically for something that initiates or starts) with 'money' (funds), so the sense 'initial investment to start a business or project' is directly inferable from the parts. The 'seed' = beginning metaphor is common in English and many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely understand this meaning.
Etymology
The phrase seed money paints a farming picture: small seeds put into the ground are like small amounts of money given at the very start. So, just as seeds help a plant grow, this early cash helps a new business 'start' and grow, which is why it means 'initial investment'.