plant
/plɑːnt/- 1.
A plant is a living thing that grows in soil or water. It usually has roots, stems, and leaves, and it makes its own food.
- This plant needs more sunlight.
- We have many plants on the balcony.
- 2.
A plant is a factory or industrial site where goods are made.
- The company opened a new plant in Pune.
- The steel plant employs thousands of workers.
To plant something is to put a seed or young plant into soil so it can grow. It can also mean to place or put something carefully somewhere.
- We planted tomatoes in the garden.
- He planted the box near the wall.
Adinary Nuance
Plant is the general word for a living green thing, while tree is a larger woody plant and flower is only the blooming part. For the factory meaning, plant is more common in business and industry than in casual speech. In writing, it can also mean to put something in the ground or place it quietly somewhere.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- cây
- Spanish
- planta
- Chinese
- 植物
- Japanese
- 植物
- Korean
- 식물
Etymology
Plant comes from Old French plante, from Latin planta, meaning a sprout or shoot. The factory meaning developed later in English, by the 1600s.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is plant a noun and a verb?
- Yes. It is a noun for a living thing or factory, and a verb for putting seeds in soil.
- What is the difference between plant and tree?
- A tree is a kind of plant, but it is usually larger and has a woody trunk.
- Is plant common in business English?
- Yes. People often say power plant, manufacturing plant, or industrial plant.