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Definition of plant noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

      

    plant

     noun
    noun
    NAmE//plænt//
     
     
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    living thing
  1. 1[countable] a living thing that grows in the earth and usually has a stem, leaves, and roots, especially one that is smaller than a tree or bush All plants need light and water. flowering/garden/indoor plants a tomato/potato plant the animal and plant life of the area Topic CollocationsThe Living Worldanimals
    • animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
    • fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
    • birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
    • insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
    • insects/bees/locusts swarm
    • bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
    • spiders spin/weave a web
    • snakes/lizards shed their skins
    • bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
    • insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
    • an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
    • attract/find/choose a mate
    • produce/release eggs/sperm
    • lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
    • inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
    • mark/enter/defend (a) territory
    • stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
    plants and fungi
    • trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
    • a seed germinates/sprouts
    • leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
    • flower buds swell/open
    • a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
    • pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
    • produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
    • produce/bear fruit
    • develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
    • provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
    • perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
    bacteria and viruses
    • bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
    • bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
    • bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
    • bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
    • a virus enters/invades something/the body
    • a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
    • be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
    • contain/carry/harbor bacteria/a virus
    • kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
    see bedding plant, houseplant, rubber plant
  2. factory
  3. 2[countable] a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place a nuclear reprocessing plant Japanese car plants a chemical plant see sewage treatment plant Thesaurusfactory
    • plant
    • mill
    • works
    • yard
    • workshop/shop
    • foundry
    These are all words for buildings or places where things are made or where industrial processes take place.
    • factory a building or group of buildings where goods are made:a chocolate/cigarette/clothing factory
    • plant a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place:a nuclear power plant a manufacturing plant a bottling plant
    • mill a factory that produces a particular type of material:a steel/cotton/paper/textile/woolen mill
    • works (often in compounds) a place where things are made or an industrial process takes place:a brickworks a steelworks Raw materials were carried to the works by rail.
    • yard (usually in compounds) an area of land used for building something:a shipyard
    • workshop/shop a room or building in which things are made or repaired using tools or machinery:a car repair shop a sheet metal workshop
    • foundry a factory where metal or glass is melted and made into different shapes or objects:an iron foundry
    Patterns
    • a car/chemical/munitions factory/plant
    • an engineering plant/(work)shop
    • to manage/run a factory/plant/mill/works/yard/workshop/foundry
    • to work in/at a factory/plant/mill/yard/workshop/foundry
    • factory/mill/foundry owners/managers/workers
  4. machinery
  5. 3[uncountable] the large machinery that is used in industrial processes The company has been investing in new plant and equipment.
  6. something illegal
  7. 4[countable, usually singular] (informal) something that someone has deliberately placed among another person's clothes or possessions in order to make them appear guilty of a crime He claimed that the drugs found in his house were a plant.
  8. person
  9. 5[countable] a person who joins a group of criminals or enemies in order to get and secretly report information about their activities
See plant in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary