(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is the small, hard part of a plant from which a new plant grows.
I sow the ~ in pots of soil-based compost.
...sunflower ~s.
N-VAR
2.
If you ~ a piece of land, you plant ~s in it.
Men mowed the wide lawns and ~ed them...
The primroses should begin to ~ themselves down the steep hillside.
...his newly ~ed lawns.
VERB: V n, V pron-refl, V-ed
3.
You can refer to the ~s of something when you want to talk about the beginning of a feeling or process that gradually develops and becomes stronger or more important. (LITERARY)
He raised questions meant to plant ~s of doubts in the minds of jurors...
N-PLURAL: N of n
4.
In sports such as tennis or badminton, a ~ is a player who has been ranked according to his or her ability.
...Pete Sampras, Wimbledon’s top ~ and the world No.1...
N-COUNT: usu supp N, oft ord/num N
5.
When a player or a team is ~ed in a sports competition, they are ranked according to their ability.
In the UEFA Cup the top 16 sides are ~ed for the first round...
He is ~ed second, behind Brad Beven...
The top four ~ed nations are through to the semi-finals.
VERB: usu passive, be V-ed adv/prep, V-ed ord, V-ed
6.
If vegetable plants go to ~ or run to ~, they produce flowers and ~s as well as leaves.
If unused, winter radishes run to ~ in spring.
PHRASE: V inflects
7.
If you say that someone or something has gone to ~ or has run to ~, you mean that they have become much less attractive, healthy, or efficient.
He was a big man in his forties; once he had a lot of muscle but now he was running to ~.
PHRASE: V inflects