Illustration of seedling
- 1 primary root
- 2 rootlet
- 3 root hairs
- 4 hypocotyl
- 5 cotyledon
- 6 young stem
- 7 true leaf
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
a
: a young tree before it becomes a sapling
b
: a nursery plant not yet transplanted
seedling
adjective
Examples of seedling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For years, these parental plants offer cool, moist microhabitats to nurture the vulnerable saguaro seedlings.
—
Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
Then, when the risk of frost is over, seedlings can be planted in pots or on the ground outdoors.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2025
Against the walls of a greenhouse, seedlings of cosmos and celosia, lisianthus and snapdragons rise in plastic trays.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
Air circulation is the best defense against seedlings suddenly collapsing and dying (called damping off disease).
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025
Then, when the risk of frost is over, seedlings can be planted in pots or on the ground outdoors.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 23 Feb. 2025
Against the walls of a greenhouse, seedlings of cosmos and celosia, lisianthus and snapdragons rise in plastic trays.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
Air circulation is the best defense against seedlings suddenly collapsing and dying (called damping off disease).
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
Cite this Entry
“Seedling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seedling. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
seedling
noun
seed·ling
ˈsēd-liŋ 
1
: a young plant grown from seed
2
: a tree before it becomes a sapling
seedling
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share