- plant´like´
- plant «plant, plahnt», noun, verb.–n.1. any living thing that is not an animal; a vegetable, in the widest sense. A plant is traditionally distinguished from an animal by the absence of locomotion and of special organs of sensation and digestion, and by its power of living wholly upon inorganic substances. Trees, shrubs, vines, grass, and vegetables are plants. »
The oxygen in the air we breathe comes from plants (Donald Mandell).
2. an herb or other living thing that has leaves, roots, and a soft stem, and is small in contrast with a tree or a shrub: »a tomato plant, a house plant.
3. a shoot or slip recently sprouted from seed, or rooted as a cutting or layer.4. a young growth ready to be set out in another place: »The farmer set out 100 cabbage plants.
5. the buildings, machinery, and tools used in manufacturing some article, producing power, or carrying on some other industrial process: »an aircraft plant, a power plant.
6. the workers employed at a plant: »The whole plant is on strike.
7. the complete apparatus used for a specific mechanical operation or process: »the heating plant on a ship.
8. the complete equipment for any purpose: »a plant of a few hundred aeroplanes…armed with machine guns, and the motor repair vans and so forth needed to go with the aeroplanes (H. G. Wells).
9. the buildings, equipment, or any other material resources belonging to, or needed to maintain, an institution: »a college plant.Figurative. No one knows the total cost of bringing the U.S. educational plant up to the size required to handle expected enrollments (Wall Street Journal).
10. Slang. a scheme or plot to swindle or defraud a person: »“It's a conspiracy,” said Ben Allen. “A regular plant,” added Mr. Bob Sawyer (Dickens).
11. Slang. a person or thing so placed or a plan so devised as to trap, trick, lure, or deceive criminals or wrongdoers.12. Figurative. a person, supposedly a member of the audience, who assists a performer on the stage: »a magician's plant.
–v.t.1. to put in the ground to grow, as seeds, young trees, shoots, or cuttings: »to plant potatoes.
2. to lay out and prepare by putting seed or seedlings in the ground; furnish with plants: »to plant an orchard or a crop, to plant a field with trees. Growers are expected to plant 17,443,000 acres to cotton this year (New York Times).
3. to set firmly; put; place: »Columbus planted the Spanish flag in the ground. The boy planted his feet far apart.
5. to establish (as a colony or city); settle.6. to establish (a person) as a settler or colonist.7. to colonize or settle (an area); stock, as with inhabitants or cattle.8. to locate or situate: »a town planted at the mouth of a river.
9. Figurative. to put in (ideas or feelings); introduce and establish firmly (a doctrine, religion, principle, or practice): »Parents try to plant ideas in their children. That noble thirst of fame and reputation which is planted in the hearts of all men (Sir Richard Steele).
10. to introduce (a breed of animals) into a country.12. Slang, Figurative. to deliver (as a blow) with a definite aim.13. Slang, Figurative. to hide (as something stolen).14. Slang, Figurative. to place (a person or thing) as a plant, trap, or trick: »[He] denied that the story had been “planted” with him by a Government source (New York Times).
15. Slang. to salt (a mine or claim).╂[partly Old English plante young plant, sprout, cutting (< Latin planta sprout), and partly < Old French plante plant < Medieval Latin planta plant < Latin]–plant´like´, adjective.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
