planted; planting; plants
1
2
3
a
: to place in or on the ground
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted a hard blow on his chin
4
a
: conceal
b
: to covertly place for discovery, publication, or dissemination
: to plant something
1
2
a
: the land, buildings, machinery, apparatus, and fixtures employed in carrying on a trade or an industrial business
b
: a factory or workshop for the manufacture of a particular product
also
: power plant
c
: the total facilities available for production or service
d
: the buildings and other physical equipment of an institution
3
: an act of planting
4
: something or someone planted
Examples of plant in a Sentence
Verb
I planted corn this year.
I planted the border with roses.
a field planted with corn
She planted stakes in the garden to hold the vines.
I firmly planted my feet and refused to move.
He planted himself in front of the TV and stayed there.
Terrorists planted a bomb in the bus station.
She claims that the police planted the drugs in her car.
He was a spy planted in the office by a rival company.
Someone planted a rumor saying that he had died.
Noun
The gangsters never suspected that he was a police plant.
a furniture plant that employs hundreds of people
Recent Examples on the Web
Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Along the route, celebrants are planting white pines, a symbol of peace to the Haudenosaunee.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
By the 2030s, Helical Fusion intends to launch its fusion pilot plant, Helix KANATA, which will demonstrate 24/7 stable operation, net positive electricity output, and efficient component maintenance—three critical requirements for commercial fusion viability.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Between 2019 and 2022, the project planted 8,425 evergreen trees and shrubs in Louisville's south end.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
Along the route, celebrants are planting white pines, a symbol of peace to the Haudenosaunee.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
Despite shifting attention, 72 percent of consumers globally still preferred products that do not harm plants or animals, the survey showed.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Oct. 2025
By the 2030s, Helical Fusion intends to launch its fusion pilot plant, Helix KANATA, which will demonstrate 24/7 stable operation, net positive electricity output, and efficient component maintenance—three critical requirements for commercial fusion viability.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plant
Cite this Entry
“Plant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plant. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plant
1 of 2 verb1
a
: to put or set in the ground to grow
plant seeds
b
: to set permanently in the consciousness of : implant
plant good habits
2
a
: to cause to become established
plant colonies
b
: to stock or provide with something usually to grow or increase
plant fields to corn
plant a stream with trout
3
a
: to place or fix in the ground
planted stakes to hold the vines
b
: to place firmly or forcibly
planted themselves right in our way
4
: to place or introduce so as to mislead
plant a spy
plant
2 of 2 noun1
: any of a kingdom of mostly photosynthetic living things usually lacking the ability to move from place to place under their own power, having no obvious nervous or sensory organs, possessing cellulose cell walls, and often having a body that is able to keep growing without taking on a fixed size and shape
2
a
: the land, buildings, and equipment of an organization
the college plant
b
: a building or workshop for the manufacture of a product : factory
c
3
: something or someone planted
left muddy footprints as a plant to confuse the police
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