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
These are seeds that germinate and grow into young plants, often consumed raw in salads or sandwiches.
—Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Plants that are native to cold areas, like boneset and milkweed, germinate best when their seeds are cold stratified around January to February.
8 to 10 Weeks Before Last Frost
Celery, leeks, eggplants, peppers, and flowers like snapdragons also grow relatively slowly.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2025
In the European tradition, that is typically done by letting the grains germinate just enough to create an enzyme that will start the conversion, a step called malting.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The seeds germinate in spring, then sprout to lie flat on the water like ribbons during their floating-leaf stage.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for germinate 
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Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Plants that are native to cold areas, like boneset and milkweed, germinate best when their seeds are cold stratified around January to February.
8 to 10 Weeks Before Last Frost
Celery, leeks, eggplants, peppers, and flowers like snapdragons also grow relatively slowly.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2025
In the European tradition, that is typically done by letting the grains germinate just enough to create an enzyme that will start the conversion, a step called malting.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
The seeds germinate in spring, then sprout to lie flat on the water like ribbons during their floating-leaf stage.
—Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for germinate
Dictionary Entries Near germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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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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