Illustration of seedling
- 1 primary root
- 2 rootlet
- 3 root hairs
- 4 hypocotyl
- 5 cotyledon
- 6 young stem
- 7 true leaf
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
a
: a young tree before it becomes a sapling
b
: a nursery plant not yet transplanted
seedling
adjective
Examples of seedling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Slugs can devour seedlings overnight, eat the petals off flowers, and leave ugly holes in ripening fruits and vegetables.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2025
The perfectly pruned roses are just beginning to leaf out and the plants in the vegetable garden are seedlings.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Some of those gardeners at the sale may begin their patchwork right after Mother’s Day, but that plan can backfire when a cold front moves in, like what is happening this week, and frost can nip those fragile young seedlings.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
However, the young seedlings emerge in spring around the same time that garden weeds are popping up.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
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Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 May 2025
The perfectly pruned roses are just beginning to leaf out and the plants in the vegetable garden are seedlings.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
Some of those gardeners at the sale may begin their patchwork right after Mother’s Day, but that plan can backfire when a cold front moves in, like what is happening this week, and frost can nip those fragile young seedlings.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
However, the young seedlings emerge in spring around the same time that garden weeds are popping up.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
Cite this Entry
“Seedling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seedling. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seedling
noun
seed·ling
ˈsēd-liŋ 
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
: a tree before it becomes a sapling
seedling
adjective
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