germinate
to begin to grow or develop.
Botany.
to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore, or bulb.
to put forth shoots; sprout; pullulate.
to come into existence; begin.
to cause to develop; produce.
to cause to come into existence; create.
Origin of germinate
1Other words from germinate
- ger·mi·na·ble [jur-muh-nuh-buhl], /ˈdʒɜr mə nə bəl/, adjective
- ger·mi·na·tion, noun
- ger·mi·na·tor, noun
- non·ger·mi·nat·ing, adjective
- non·ger·mi·na·tion, noun
- re·ger·mi·nate, verb, re·ger·mi·nat·ed, re·ger·mi·nat·ing.
- re·ger·mi·na·tion, noun
- un·ger·mi·nat·ed, adjective
- un·ger·mi·nat·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use germinate in a sentence
The notion had come to me that first day under the ship, and had germinated rapidly over the past several nights.
The Extinction Parade: An Original Zombie Story by Max Brooks | Max Brooks | January 14, 2011 | THE DAILY BEASTIn vain I have been waiting for his appearance,—yet the suggestion of escape has germinated hope.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanTherefore, I inferred that the seeds of revolt which germinated so readily had been long since sown.
The Aztec Treasure-House | Thomas Allibone JanvierIt remains, quietly waiting, for about a month after most other plants have germinated.
The Romance of Plant Life | G. F. Scott ElliotIt means that it is first germinated in a warm soil and under a kindly sun.
Gabriel Conroy | Bert Harte
His political environment and his readings in American history germinated.
Lincoln, the Politician | T. Aaron Levy
British Dictionary definitions for germinate
/ (ˈdʒɜːmɪˌneɪt) /
to cause (seeds or spores) to sprout or (of seeds or spores) to sprout or form new tissue following increased metabolism
to grow or cause to grow; develop
to come or bring into existence; originate: the idea germinated with me
Origin of germinate
1Derived forms of germinate
- germinable or germinative, adjective
- germination, noun
- germinator, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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