seed

[[t]si͟ːd[/t]]

♦♦

seeds, seeding, seeded

1) N-VAR A seed is the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant grows.

...a packet of cabbage seed...

I sow the seed in pots of soil-based compost.

...sunflower seeds.

2) VERB If you seed a piece of land, you plant seeds in it.

[V n] Men mowed the wide lawns and seeded them...

[V pron-refl] The primroses should begin to seed themselves down the steep hillside.

[V-ed] ...his newly seeded lawns.

Syn:

sow

3) N-PLURAL: N of n You can refer to the seeds of something when you want to talk about the beginning of a feeling or process that gradually develops and becomes stronger or more important. [LITERARY]

He raised questions meant to plant seeds of doubts in the minds of jurors...

He considered that there were, in these developments, the seeds of a new moral order.

4) N-COUNT: usu supp N, oft ord/num N In sports such as tennis or badminton, a seed is a player who has been ranked according to his or her ability. [TECHNICAL]

...Pete Sampras, Wimbledon's top seed and the world No.1...

In the final Capriati, the third seed, defeated Katerina Maleeva.

5) VERB: usu passive When a player or a team is seeded in a sports competition, they are ranked according to their ability. [TECHNICAL]

[be V-ed adv/prep] In the UEFA Cup the top 16 sides are seeded for the first round...

[be V-ed adv/prep] He now meets Richey Reneberg, seeded eight...

[V-ed] The top four seeded nations are through to the semi-finals.

Syn:

ranked

6) PHRASE: V inflects If vegetable plants go to seed or run to seed, they produce flowers and seeds as well as leaves.

If unused, winter radishes run to seed in spring.

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone or something has gone to seed or run to seed, you mean that they have become much less attractive, healthy, or efficient.

He says the economy has gone to seed...

He was a big man in his forties; once he had a lot of muscle but now he was running to seed.