the fertilized. ripened ovule of a flowering plant found in the embryo. seed leaf

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
seed (noun)
1.
a) (1) the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing
(2) the fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant containing an embryo and capable normally of germination to produce a new plant , broadly a propagative plant structure (as a spore or small dry fruit)
b) a propagative animal structure
(1) - milt semen
(2) a small egg (as of an insect)
(3) a developmental form of a lower animal suitable for transplanting , specifically - spat
c) the condition or stage of bearing seed - in seed
2.
- progeny
3.
a source of development or growth - germ sowed the seeds of discord
4.
something (as a tiny particle or a bubble in glass) that resembles a seed in shape or size
5.
a competitor who has been in a tournament - seeded the top seed
seed (verb)
intransitive verb
1.
to bear or shed seed
2.
transitive verb
to sow seed - plant
1.
a) to plant in - seeds sow seed a lawn with grass
b) to furnish with something that causes or stimulates growth or development
c) - inoculate
d) to supply with nuclei (as of crystallization or condensation) , especially to treat (a cloud) with solid particles to convert water droplets into ice crystals in an attempt to produce precipitation
e) to cover or permeate by or as if by scattering something - seeded [the] sea-lanes with thousands of magnetic mines Otto Friedrich
2.
- plant
3.
to extract the seeds from (as raisins)
4.
a) to schedule (tournament players or teams) so that superior ones will not meet in early rounds
b) to rank (a contestant) relative to others in a tournament on the basis of previous record - the top-seeded tennis star
Related Articles:
seed (Wikipedia)
For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation).
Seeds of different plants (left to right, not to scale). First row: Poppy, Red pepper, Strawberry, Apple tree, Blackberry, Rice, Carum. Second row: Mustard, Eggplant, Physalis, grapes, raspberries, red rice, Patchouli. Third row: Figs, Lycium barbarum, Beets, Blueberries, Golden Kiwifruit, Rosehip, Basil. Fourth row: Pink pepper, Tomato, Radish, Carrot, Matthiola, Dill, Coriander. Fifth row: Black pepper, White cabbage, Napa cabbage, Seabuckthorn, Parsley, Dandelion, Capsella bursa-pastoris. Sixth row: Cauliflower, Radish, Kiwifruit, Grenadilla, Passion fruit, Melissa, Tagetes erecta.

A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering. The formation of the seed is part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm plants.

Seeds are the product of the ripened ovule, after fertilization by pollen and some growth within the mother plant. The embryo is developed from the zygote and the seed coat from the integuments of the ovule.

Seeds have been an important development in the reproduction and success of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants, relative to more primitive plants such as ferns, mosses and liverworts, which do not have seeds and use water-dependent means to propagate themselves. Seed plants now dominate biological niches on land, from forests to grasslands both in hot and cold climates.

The term "seed" also has a general meaning that antedates the above – anything that can be sown, e.g. "seed" potatoes, "seeds" of corn or sunflower "seeds". In the case of sunflower and corn "seeds", what is sown is the seed enclosed in a shell or husk, whereas the potato is a tuber.

Many structures commonly referred to as "seeds" are actually dry fruits. Plants producing berries are called baccate. Sunflower seeds are sometimes sold commercially while still enclosed within the hard wall of the fruit, which must be split open to reach the seed. Different groups of plants have other modifications, the so-called stone fruits (such as the peach) have a hardened fruit layer (the endocarp) fused to and surrounding the actual seed. Nuts are the one-seeded, hard-shelled fruit of some plants with an indehiscent seed, such as an acorn or hazelnut.

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