seed

1 /si:d/ noun plural seeds or seed 1

a) (C, U) a small, hard object produced by plants, from which a new plant of the same kind grows: sunflower seeds | plant/sow seeds (=put them into the ground): Plant the seeds in sandy soil, about 10 cm apart. | grow sth from seed (=grow a plant from a seed, rather than planting it when it is already partly grown)

b) (U) a quantity of seeds: grass seed

2 AmE (C) one of the small hard objects in a fruit such as an apple or orange, from which new fruit trees grow; pip 1 (1) BrE

3 go/run to seed

a) if a plant or vegetable goes or runs to seed, it starts producing flowers and seeds as well as leaves

b) if a person goes or runs to seed, they become unattractive, fat, or unhealthy especially because of getting old or lazy

4 the seeds of sth something that makes a new situation start to grow and develop: the seeds of victory | sow (the) seeds of doubt/destruction/rebellion etc (=do or say something which makes a bad feeling or situation develop and become a much more serious problem): Sectarian agitators did much to sow the seeds of discontent among the people.

5 number one/number three etc seed (C) a tennis player who is given a particular position according to how likely they are to win a competition: He's been top seed for the past two years.

6 biblical or humorous semen or sperm

7 (U) biblical the group of people who have a particular person as their father, grandfather etc, especially when they form a particular race

2 verb

1 (T) to remove seeds from fruit: seeded raisins

2 (transitive usually passive) to give a tennis player a particular position, according to how likely they are to win a competition: seeded fourth at Wimbledon

3 (transitive often passive) to plant seeds in the ground

4 (I) to produce seeds