germinate

intransitive-verb
UK: /ˈdʒɜː.mɪ.neɪt/
US: /ˈdʒɝː.mɪ.neɪt/

  1. To begin to grow; sprout. Especially said of seeds or spores.

    1. The seeds germinate quickly in warm weather.
    2. The idea for the project began to germinate during a series of brainstorming sessions.

  2. To start developing or come into existence.

    1. A plan started to germinate in my mind.
    2. From this experience, the seeds of his later political activism began to germinate.

Synonyms

sprout develop grow originate begin arise
germinate transitive-verb

  1. To cause to sprout; to initiate the growth of a seed or spore.

    1. Warm water will germinate the seeds.
    2. Farmers use special techniques to germinate seeds in controlled environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "germinate" in English means: To begin to grow; sprout. Especially said of seeds or spores., To start developing or come into existence..

The phonetic transcription of "germinate" is /ˈdʒɜː.mɪ.neɪt/ in British English and /ˈdʒɝː.mɪ.neɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "germinate": sprout, develop, grow, originate, begin, arise.

Example usage of "germinate": "The seeds germinate quickly in warm weather.". More examples on the page.