germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
1
: to come into being : evolve
before Western civilization began to germinate—
A. L. Kroeber
A. L. Kroeber2
: to begin to grow : sprout
waiting for the seeds to germinate
Examples of germinate in a Sentence
methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds
Recent Examples on the Web
The idea for an awards dinner with Marian and Donald Spencer as honorees germinated in late 2014 during a Cincinnatus Association Inclusion panel meeting.
—The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
By 2011, Wilson had moved to Nashville, where her career as a singer-songwriter started germinating.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 9 May 2024
The seeds germinate in anywhere from a week to a month.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024
Try to place your garden away from trees to keep debris from falling in because as plant detritus builds up and breaks down, unwanted weed seedlings could germinate and start growing.
—Caitlin Huson, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperature is between 65-70 degrees.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2024
That’s what the chunks of fruit signify—something to chew on, containing seeds that will germinate into future harvests.
—Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
But there are a few that will not germinate in the dark.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024
Sitting in the cold, wet soil caused the seed to deteriorate and never germinate.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 3 Feb. 2024
The Enquirer, 10 May 2024
By 2011, Wilson had moved to Nashville, where her career as a singer-songwriter started germinating.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 9 May 2024
The seeds germinate in anywhere from a week to a month.
—Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2024
Try to place your garden away from trees to keep debris from falling in because as plant detritus builds up and breaks down, unwanted weed seedlings could germinate and start growing.
—Caitlin Huson, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024
Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperature is between 65-70 degrees.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 6 Apr. 2024
That’s what the chunks of fruit signify—something to chew on, containing seeds that will germinate into future harvests.
—Emily Reynolds Bergh, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
But there are a few that will not germinate in the dark.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 16 Feb. 2024
Sitting in the cold, wet soil caused the seed to deteriorate and never germinate.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 3 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'germinate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
: to begin to grow : sprout
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