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

Not all seeds are fertile or survive, so only a fraction of those produced might germinate and mature themselves. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2025

It’s said that the same water makes the region’s bean sprouts especially sweet, germinating them, then eventually extracting their gentle flavor, as in one of the city’s signature dishes, bean-sprout soup with rice. —Eric Kim, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

After the seeds have germinated, transplant the seedlings to a larger container in the spring. —Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2025

These are seeds that germinate and grow into young plants, often consumed raw in salads or sandwiches. —Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025

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