germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

1

: to come into being : evolve

before Western civilization began to germinate

—A. L. Kroeber

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

waiting for the seeds to germinate

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

germinative

ˈjər-mə-ˌnā-tiv  -mə-nə- 

adjective

Examples of germinate in a Sentence

methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds

Recent Examples on the Web

Would those seeds help germinate a relationship or will budding optimism wilt? —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2024

Periods of warm weather mid-winter can cause seeds to germinate before spring. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2024

Across California and Arizona, there are stretches of desert that can quickly transform into dense fields of wildflowers, since seeds lie dormant in the soil and then germinate and blossom at around the same time. —Suman Naishadham, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

Others, such as Sierra Nevada’s sugar pine, demand 16 weeks. Between February and May, the seeds wake up from their slumber, germinate and sprout. —Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin germinatus, past participle of germinare to sprout, from germin-, germen bud, germ

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

1

: to cause to sprout or develop

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

3

: to come into being : evolve

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

: to begin to grow : sprout

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun