seed
/siːd/ (bre, ipa) · /siːd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsēd/ (ame, mw)
seed — noun
- seedsingular
- seedsplural
1. a tiny, often hard object that forms inside a plant and can be placed in soil to
a tiny, often hard object that forms inside a plant and can be placed in soil to grow a new plant
Ryan planted a sunflower seed in a small pot on the kitchen window.
The farmer saved the best seeds from this year's crop for next spring.
countable: seeds from [crop]
A single poppy seed can grow into a plant with dozens of flowers.
Birds ate most of the seeds that Mei scattered across the garden.
Some seeds need cold weather before they will start to grow.
用法筆記
Used as a countable noun (one seed, many seeds) and also as uncountable when referring to seeds as a general substance — for example, 'birdseed' or 'seed can be stored for years in a dry place.'
常見錯誤
2. the fluid produced by male animals and humans that carries sperm and is involved
the fluid produced by male animals and humans that carries sperm and is involved in reproduction
The doctor examined a sample of the patient's seed under a microscope.
uncountable: seed as biological fluid
Researchers studied how temperature changes affect seed quality in mammals.
The fertility clinic stores donated seed in containers at very low temperatures.
Veterinarians collected seed from the stallion for the breeding programme.
用法筆記
Clinical or biological register. In everyday conversation, the word 'semen' is far more common than 'seed' for this meaning.
3. the stage when an edible plant is left unpicked until it forms flower heads and
the stage when an edible plant is left unpicked until it forms flower heads and develops seeds rather than being gathered for food
The lettuce had gone to seed after Lien forgot to pick it before summer.
fixed phrase: go/run to seed (literal)
If you leave the broccoli in the ground too long, it will run to seed.
The farmer's spinach crop had all gone to seed during the heatwave.
Marco let the courgette plant run to seed to save seeds for next year.
- bolting
the technical gardening term for a plant that has gone to seed prematurely
用法筆記
Always appears in the fixed phrases 'go to seed' or 'run to seed'. Not used outside this construction for this meaning.
4. a worn-down, untidy state that a person, place, or thing develops when nobody ta
a worn-down, untidy state that a person, place, or thing develops when nobody takes proper care of it
After the owner moved away, the old hotel gradually went to seed.
fixed phrase: go/run to seed (figurative)
Tunde's once-beautiful garden had sadly gone to seed with weeds everywhere.
The park had run to seed since the council stopped paying for gardeners.
Esteban's suit looked like it had gone to seed with frayed cuffs and missing buttons.
- deteriorate
more formal and general, not limited to appearance
- decline
broader — can refer to health, quality, or standards over time
- thrive
to grow or develop well with proper care
用法筆記
Always in the set phrases 'go to seed' or 'run to seed'. Applies to people's appearance or the condition of buildings and outdoor spaces.
5. a small starting point from which a thought, emotion, or larger process graduall
a small starting point from which a thought, emotion, or larger process gradually grows
The seeds of doubt were planted in her mind by the anonymous letter.
phrase: seeds of [something]
That short conversation contained the seeds of their future business partnership.
The seeds of the revolution were sown during years of unfair government policies.
Even as a young child, Nia showed the seeds of her talent for classical music.
- end
the final point or conclusion of a process or development
用法筆記
Almost always used in the plural — 'the seeds of something'. Commonly followed by 'of + noun' to name what will develop.
6. a player or team placed in a ranked position in a tournament draw so that the st
a player or team placed in a ranked position in a tournament draw so that the strongest competitors do not meet one another in the early rounds
The top seed lost in the first round, which shocked the tennis world.
sports ranking: top / first / second seed
Karim was the third seed at the national badminton championship this year.
The tournament's number one seed advanced easily to the quarter-finals.
As the defending champion, Aoi was given the top seed in the competition.
用法筆記
Commonly paired with ordinal numbers — 'first seed', 'second seed' — or with 'top/number one' for the highest-ranked player.
常見錯誤
seed — verb
- seedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- seeds3rd person singular
- seeding-ing form
- seededpast simple
1. to form and release seeds as part of a plant's natural life cycle
to form and release seeds as part of a plant's natural life cycle
The tomato plants began to seed in late August after weeks of hot weather.
intransitive: plants seed (naturally)
Some wildflowers seed themselves by dropping their grains directly onto the ground.
The oak tree seeds every autumn, covering the driveway with hundreds of acorns.
After the dry summer, the grass had already seeded and turned brown.
- go to seed
describes the process more fully, including the plant's decline after seeding
用法筆記
Can be used intransitively ('the plant seeds in autumn') or transitively ('the plant seeds itself'). The transitive form is usually reflexive with 'itself'.
2. to take out the small hard parts from inside produce such as melons, peppers, or
to take out the small hard parts from inside produce such as melons, peppers, or squash before cooking or eating
Yael seeded the watermelon before cutting it into small pieces for the salad.
transitive: seed + fruit/vegetable
The recipe says to seed the jalapeños for a milder sauce.
Hari seeded each tomato by cutting it open and scooping out the inside.
Before making the jam, Élise seeded all the grapes by hand in the kitchen.
- deseed
the synonym more commonly used in British English cookbooks
用法筆記
Very common in cooking instructions. Usually appears in the imperative or infinitive form in recipes — 'Seed the peppers before chopping them.'
3. to put seeds into the ground so that they can grow into new plants
to put seeds into the ground so that they can grow into new plants
The farmer seeded the field with wheat just before the spring rains arrived.
transitive: seed + [land] with [crop]
Ryan seeded the empty patches in the lawn with a fresh grass mixture.
The volunteers seeded the hillside with young trees after the forest fire.
Esme seeded the vegetable patch with carrots and beetroots last weekend.
用法筆記
The direct object is the area being planted (the land, field, or container). The type of seed is introduced with 'with' — 'seed the field with corn.'
常見錯誤
4. to introduce an idea, feeling, or resource into a situation with the intention o
to introduce an idea, feeling, or resource into a situation with the intention of making it grow or develop over time
The manager's unfair comments seeded a growing sense of anger among the team.
transitive: seed + [feeling] + in/among [group]
Mateo's question seeded an interesting discussion about the future of the company.
The government program seeded small businesses with low-interest loans.
The documentary seeded doubts in Tara's mind about everything she had believed.
用法筆記
Commonly takes a prepositional phrase — 'seed doubt in someone's mind', 'seed an idea among the team', 'seed a project with funds'. The adverb or preposition is usually required to complete the meaning.
5. to assign a top player or team a numbered position in a tournament draw so that
to assign a top player or team a numbered position in a tournament draw so that the best competitors are kept apart from each other at the start of the event
The defending champion was seeded first in this year's Wimbledon tournament.
passive: was/were seeded [number]
Esteban was seeded fifth but played well enough to reach the final match.
The committee seeded the players based on their performance over the past year.
A young unknown player defeated several seeded opponents to win the title.
- rank
broader — used in any competition or list, not specifically for tournament draw placement
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used in the passive voice — 'He was seeded third.' The active form ('The committee seeded him third') is possible but much less common.
6. to release substances such as silver iodide into clouds from an aircraft, in an
to release substances such as silver iodide into clouds from an aircraft, in an attempt to cause rain to fall
The government sent planes to seed the clouds during the severe drought.
transitive: seed + clouds
Scientists seeded the clouds with silver iodide to try to end the dry spell.
The company specialises in cloud seeding for farming regions with low rainfall.
After the clouds were seeded, heavy rain fell across the valley within a few hours.
用法筆記
A technical term in meteorology and agriculture. The noun form 'cloud seeding' is more common than the verb 'to seed clouds.'