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
Not long ago, Barbara Starr, who gardens in the San Fernando Valley, sent me a picture of dozens of seedlings that were growing adjacent to her back wall.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
In 1974, horticulturist David Bedford came upon four trees marked for disposal in Block 53 of the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, a vast orchard with ~7k seedlings.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 12 Sep. 2025
Forgoing proper spacing is tempting in the spring when small seedlings look lost in a garden bed.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
So go to your garden center and look for seedlings of the following kale varieties.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for seedling
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Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
In 1974, horticulturist David Bedford came upon four trees marked for disposal in Block 53 of the University of Minnesota Horticultural Research Center, a vast orchard with ~7k seedlings.
—Mark Dent, HubSpot, 12 Sep. 2025
Forgoing proper spacing is tempting in the spring when small seedlings look lost in a garden bed.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Sep. 2025
So go to your garden center and look for seedlings of the following kale varieties.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 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 17 Sep. 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
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