I. plant 1 S2 W1 /plɑːnt $ plænt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ plant , ↑ transplant , ↑ transplantation , ↑ plantation , ↑ planter ; verb : ↑ plant , ↑ transplant ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: plante , from Latin planta 'new growth on a plant, part cut off a plant to be grown again' ]
1 . LIVING THING [countable] a living thing that has leaves and roots and grows in earth, especially one that is smaller than a tree:
Don’t forget to water the plants.
⇨ ↑ houseplant
2 . FACTORY [countable] a factory or building where an industrial process happens:
a huge chemical plant
⇨ ↑ power plant
3 . MACHINERY [uncountable] British English heavy machinery that is used in industrial processes:
a plant hire business
4 . SOMETHING HIDDEN [countable usually singular] something illegal or stolen that is hidden in someone’s clothes or possessions to make them seem guilty of a crime
5 . PERSON [countable] someone who is put somewhere or sent somewhere secretly to find out information
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + plant
▪ rare
Many rare plants were collected from India and China.
▪ common
These plants are common in British gardens.
▪ wild plants
Many wild plants are in danger of dying out.
▪ garden plants (=plants that are grown in gardens)
These butterflies feed on the flowers of several garden plants.
▪ exotic/tropical plants
Exotic plants can be grown in a greenhouse.
▪ medicinal plants (=plants that can be used in medicine)
A lot of research into medicinal plants and traditional remedies has now been carried out.
▪ a potted/pot plant British English (=a plant that is grown in a container)
He leaves his house key under the potted plant on the porch.
▪ a house plant (=a plant grown in a pot in the house)
These make excellent house plants.
▪ a climbing plant (=one that grows up things)
The wall was covered with climbing plants.
▪ a trailing plant (=one that grows along the ground or hangs down)
▪ a tomato/potato/bean etc plant
Bean plants are easy to grow.
▪ poisonous
What should you do if your child has eaten a poisonous plant?
■ verbs
▪ a plant grows
The plant grows to a height of about 20 inches.
▪ a plant thrives/flourishes (=grows well)
A lot of plants thrive in partial shade.
▪ a plant flowers
The plants are flowering earlier this year.
▪ grow a plant
It is not an easy plant to grow.
▪ water a plant
He could see her watering the plants in her small garden.
▪ a plant withers (=becomes drier and starts to die)
■ plant + NOUN
▪ plant life (=plants)
All but the dirtiest of rivers support some plant life.
▪ plant material
They feed on decaying plant material.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ plant a living thing that has leaves and roots and grows in earth, especially one that is smaller than a tree:
Don’t forget to water the plants.
|
Plants grow towards the sun.
|
Botanists examined plant species from around the world.
▪ herb a small plant that is used to improve the taste of food, or to make medicine:
Sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh herbs.
|
medicinal herbs (=used as medicine)
|
The shop sells an interesting range of herbs and spices.
▪ weed a wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly:
She was pulling up weeds in her garden.
|
Herbicides can be used to prevent and control weeds.
▪ bulb a root shaped like a ball that grows into a flower or plant:
She planted hundreds of daffodil bulbs.
▪ shrub a small bush with several woody stems:
flowering shrubs
|
Rosemary is an evergreen shrub.
II. plant 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ plant , ↑ transplant , ↑ transplantation , ↑ plantation , ↑ planter ; verb : ↑ plant , ↑ transplant ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: plantian , from Latin plantare , from planta ; ⇨ ↑ plant 1 ]
1 . PLANTS/SEEDS to put plants or seeds in the ground to grow:
Residents have helped us plant trees.
We’ve planted tomatoes and carrots in the garden.
plant a field/garden/area etc (with something)
a hillside planted with fir trees
2 . PUT SOMETHING SOMEWHERE [always + adverb/preposition] informal to put something firmly in or on something else
plant something in/on etc something
He came up to her and planted a kiss on her cheek.
She planted her feet firmly to the spot and refused to move.
3 . HIDE ILLEGAL GOODS informal to hide stolen or illegal goods in someone’s clothes, bags, room etc in order to make them seem guilty of a crime
plant something on somebody
She claims that the police planted the drugs on her.
4 . BOMB plant a bomb to put a bomb somewhere:
Two men are accused of planting a bomb on the plane.
5 . PERSON to put or send someone somewhere, especially secretly, so that they can find out information:
The police had planted undercover detectives at every entrance.
6 . plant an idea/doubt/suspicion (in sb’s mind) to make someone begin to have an idea, especially so that they do not realize that you gave them the idea:
Someone must have planted the idea of suicide in his mind.
plant something ↔ out phrasal verb
to put a young plant into the soil outdoors, so that it has enough room to grow:
The seedlings should be planted out in May.