noun
germination
jer-muh-NAY-shun/ˌdʒɜːrmɪˈneɪʃn/
The beginning of growth from a seed or spore.
Warm soil and steady moisture encourage germination in these seeds.
Etymology
From germen, “sprout or bud,” Latin formed a verb meaning “put forth shoots” and an action noun for sprouting. Germination preserves that concrete sense: a seed beginning to grow.
In context
the growth of flowering plants starts from the germination of seeds through this process a seed grows and develops into a seedling
More examples
- Soaking the beans overnight can speed up germination.
- Some seeds need light for germination.
- We watch the germination of fern spores under a microscope.
Forms
germination
germinate verb — Begin growing from a seed or spore.
Similar words
- sprouting
- Often emphasizes visible new growth, including shoots from established plants.