A seed is the small part of a plant that can grow into a new plant. Inside each seed is a tiny baby plant called an embryo, along with stored food to help it start growing. When you plant a sunflower seed in soil and water it, that hard little kernel contains everything needed to become a tall flower.

Seeds come in amazing variety. An acorn is an oak tree's seed. Apple seeds are tiny and tucked inside the fruit. Coconuts are enormous seeds that can float across oceans. Some seeds, like dandelion seeds, have fluffy parachutes so the wind can carry them far from the parent plant. Others have hooks that stick to animal fur for a ride to new places.

The word also means the beginning or source of something. A teacher might plant the seed of an idea in your mind that grows into a passion for science. A small act of kindness can be the seed that starts a friendship.

As a verb, seed can mean to plant seeds or to spread something the way seeds spread. In sports tournaments, teams are seeded based on their strength, with the best team getting the number one seed. This ensures the strongest competitors don't face each other in early rounds. If you're the top seed in a chess tournament, you've earned recognition as the favorite to win.