plant
A living thing like a tree or flower that grows.
Plant can mean several things:
- A living thing that makes its own food from sunlight, like trees, flowers, grass, and vegetables. Plants have roots that take in water and nutrients from soil, and most have green leaves that capture sunlight to create energy. Unlike animals, plants stay in one place and don't need to eat other living things. Some plants, like the massive sequoia trees of California, can live for thousands of years. Others, like dandelions, sprout up quickly and spread their seeds on the wind.
- To put something in the ground so it will grow. When you plant a seed or bulb, you're giving it a chance to develop into a full-grown plant. You might plant tomatoes in a garden or plant an oak tree in your backyard.
- To place something firmly or deliberately. In football, a player plants their foot before making a cut. You can also plant yourself in a chair, meaning you settle in and don't plan to move. When someone plants an idea in your mind, they introduce a thought that stays with you and grows over time.
- A factory or facility where things are manufactured, like an automobile plant or a power plant.