seedling

[ seed-ling ]

noun

1. a plant or tree grown from a seed.
2. a tree not yet 3 feet (1 meter) high.
3. any young plant, especially one grown in a nursery for transplanting.

seedling

/ ˈsiːdlɪŋ /

noun

1. a very young plant produced from a seed

seedling

/ sēd′lĭng /

1. A young plant, especially one that grows from a seed rather than from a cutting.
2. See Note at germination

Word History and Origins

Origin of seedling¹

First recorded in 1650–60; seed + -ling ¹

Example Sentences

This wild plant, whose seedlings proliferate after a fire, served as a vital food source of many of the region’s Indigenous people, who tended it with prescribed burns.

From Science Magazine

People could also barter for health services with seedlings or manure, to be used for forest restoration and farming.

From Salon

During the highest heat, they had to water the plants twice a day to keep them alive, and they finally created a shaded area to protect tender seedlings from the heat.

From Los Angeles Times

Many keystone tree species of the region, including red and white oaks, depend on fire to curb undergrowth and create space within the canopy so sunlight can reach seedlings.

From Salon

Two years on, his mum Ruth contacted the National Trust after hearing about the seedlings and grafts successfully grown from seeds and young twigs rescued from the felled tree.

From BBC

Related Words

• flower
• grass
• herb
• shrub
• tree
• vine
• weed