■ noun
1》 a living organism of the kind exemplified by trees, shrubs, grasses, ferns, and mosses, typically growing in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through the roots, and synthesizing nutrients in the leaves by photosynthesis using the green pigment chlorophyll.
↘a small ~, as distinct from a shrub or tree.
2》 a place where an industrial or manufacturing process takes place.
↘machinery used in an industrial or manufacturing process.
3》 a person placed in a group as a spy or informer.
↘a thing put among someone's belongings to incriminate or discredit them.
4》 Snooker a shot in which the cue ball is made to strike one of two touching or nearly touching balls with the result that the second is potted.
■ verb
1》 place (a seed, bulb, or ~) in the ground so that it can grow.
↘( ~ something out ) place a ~ in the ground out of doors.
2》 place or fix in a specified position.
↘secretly place (a bomb).
↘stock a river or lake with (young fish, spawn, oysters, etc.).
3》 establish (an idea) in someone's mind.
4》 found or establish (a colony or community).
5》 put or hide (something) among someone's belongings as a ~.
↘send (someone) to join a group to act as a spy or informer.
Derivatives
~able adjective
~let noun
~-like adjective
Origin
OE ~e 'seedling', ~ian (v.), from L. ~a 'sprout, cutting' (later influenced by Fr. ~e ) and ~are '~, fix in place'.