What does seedling mean?
A seedling is a young plant that has germinated from a seed, usually one raised under controlled conditions so it can later be transplanted. Gardeners use the word for seedlings of vegetables, flowers, trees, and other plants, while farmers may speak of rice or cereal seedlings in a field. The term can also describe something at an early stage of development, such as a business, project, or idea that has potential to grow. Seedling is a precise horticultural word and differs from the broader term sprout, which may refer to a young shoot or to an edible shoot. Its diminutive formation emphasizes smallness and youth without implying that the plant is insignificant. In everyday figurative use, calling an undertaking a seedling highlights its promising but unfinished state, making the word especially useful for describing beginnings that have yet to mature.
nounA seedling is a young plant that has germinated from a seed, especially one raised for transplanting. Figuratively, it can refer to a new idea, business, or project in an early stage of development.
- A young plant that has germinated from a seed, especially one cultivated for transplanting.
- A new idea, business, or undertaking in an early stage with the potential to grow.
"After the last frost, she planted the tomato seedlings outside."
"After the last frost, she planted the tomato seedlings outside."
"The startup began as a seedling in a university incubator and gradually developed into a successful company."
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"The seedlings survived the frost and began growing rapidly."
The word tells its own story: a seedling is a plant at its smallest beginning, with the suffix -ling suggesting something small and young.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does seedling come from?
The word was formed in Middle English from seed and the diminutive suffix -ling. Seed comes from Old English sǣd, a Germanic term related to Dutch zaad and German Saat; the same ancestral root is reflected in Latin semen and in derivatives such as seminal. The suffix -ling, meaning something small or young, naturally suits a plant at the beginning of its growth.
How seedling is actually used
The word is neutral and standard in horticulture and agriculture. Its figurative use is mildly positive, suggesting that something is young, promising, and still capable of substantial growth.
Easily confused with seedling
A seed is the reproductive unit of a plant, whereas a seedling is the young plant that develops after a seed germinates.
A sprout is a young shoot or plant and may also refer to an edible shoot, while a seedling specifically develops from a seed.