A man planting Pelargonium graveolens in South Africa (1)
Meanings
Noun
An organism that is not an animal, especially an organism capable of photosynthesis. Typically a small or herbaceous organism of this kind, rather than a tree.
An organism of the kingdom Plantae; now specifically, a living organism of the Embryophyta (land plants) or of the Chlorophyta (green algae), a eukaryote that includes double-membraned chloroplasts in its cells containing chlorophyll a and b, or any organism closely related to such an organism.
Now specifically, a multicellular eukaryote that includes chloroplasts in its cells, which have a cell wall.
From Middle English plante, from Old English plante ("young tree or shrub, herb newly planted"), from Latin planta ("sprout, shoot, cutting"). Broader sense of "any vegetable life, vegetation generally" is from Old French plante. clan, borrowed through Celtic languages.
The verb is from Middle English planten, from Old English plantian, from Latin plantÅ, later influenced by Old French planter. Compare also Dutch planten ("to plant"), German pflanzen ("to plant"), Swedish plantera ("to plant"), Icelandic planta ("to plant").
Modern English dictionary
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