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germinate

Pronunciation: /ˈdʒəːmɪneɪt/
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Definition of germinate

verb

[no object]
  • (of a seed or spore) begin to grow and put out shoots after a period of dormancy.
  • [with object] cause (a seed or spore) to germinate.
  • come into existence and develop:the idea germinated and slowly grew into an obsession

Derivatives

germination

Pronunciation: /-ˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
noun

germinative

Pronunciation: /-nətɪv/
adjective

germinator

noun

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin germinat- 'sprouted forth, budded', from the verb germinare, from germen, germin- 'sprout, seed'

germinate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of germinate in the US English dictionary

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