plant

noun

/plɑːnt/

/plænt/

living thing

enlarge image

[countable] a living thing that grows in the earth and usually has a stem, leaves and roots, especially one that is smaller than a tree or bush植物；花草

All plants need light and water.一切植物都需要阳光和水。
flowering plants开花植物
native/medicinal/wild plants本土/药用/野生植物
a tomato/potato plant番茄秧；马铃薯秧
It's becoming more popular to grow plants organically.有机种植越来越普遍。
The area is home to many rare plant species.该地区出产多种稀有植物。
the animal and plant life of the area本地区的动植物

see also air plant, bedding plant, houseplant, rubber plant, specimen plant

Collocations The living worldThe living worldAnimals

animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
insects/bees/locusts swarm
bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
spiders spin/weave a web
snakes/lizards shed their skins
bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
attract/find/choose a mate
produce/release eggs/sperm
lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
mark/enter/defend (a) territory
stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey

Plants and fungi

trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
a seed germinates/sprouts
leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
flower buds swell/open
a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
produce/bear fruit
develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis

Bacteria and viruses

bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
a virus enters/invades something/the body
a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria

Extra Examples

Plants absorb carbon in the form of carbon dioxide.植物吸收二氧化碳中的碳。
The butterfly's sole food plant is wild lupine.这种蝴蝶的唯一食用植物是野生羽扇豆。
food plants of rare butterflies可作珍稀蝴蝶食物的植物

Topics Plants and treesa1

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective

delicate
wild
native
…

verb + plant

cultivate
grow
water
…

plant + verb

develop
grow
flourish
…

plant + noun

roots
growth
life
…

factory

[countable] a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place发电厂；工厂

a nuclear power plant核电站
a processing/manufacturing plant加工厂；制造厂
Japanese car plants日本汽车制造厂
a water treatment plant水处理厂
a chemical/steel/coal plant化工厂；钢铁厂；燃煤发电厂

machines

[uncountable] the large machines that are used in industrial processes（工业用的）大型机器，设备

The company has been investing in new plant and equipment.这家公司一直在投资购置新机器和设备。

something illegal

[countable, usually singular] (informal) something that somebody has deliberately placed among another person’s clothes or possessions in order to make them appear guilty of a crime栽赃物品

He claimed that the drugs found in his house were a plant.他声称在他家中发现的毒品是一种植物。

person

[countable] a person who joins a group of criminals or enemies in order to get and secretly report information about their activities坐探；内线；卧底

Word OriginOld English plante ‘seedling’, plantian (verb), from Latin planta ‘sprout, cutting’ (later influenced by French plante) and plantare ‘plant, fix in a place’.

plant

verb

/plɑːnt/

/plænt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they plant	/plɑːnt/ /plænt/
he / she / it plants	/plɑːnts/ /plænts/
past simple planted	/ˈplɑːntɪd/ /ˈplæntɪd/
past participle planted	/ˈplɑːntɪd/ /ˈplæntɪd/
-ing form planting	/ˈplɑːntɪŋ/ /ˈplæntɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

seeds/plants

plant something to put plants, seeds, etc. in the ground to grow栽种；种植；播种

to plant a tree/seed/crop种树；播种；种庄稼
to plant and harvest rice栽种并收割水稻
Plant the bulbs in pots for a spring display.把这些球茎种在盆里，用作春季的展示。

Extra Examples

Carefully plant your cutting in the soil.将插条小心地栽种到土里。
Zinfandel is California's most widely planted red grape.仙粉黛是加州种植最广泛的红葡萄。
recently planted maples最近栽种的枫树
weeds that had not been deliberately planted并非有意种植的草
Plant these shrubs in full sun.在充足的阳光下种植这些灌木。

Topics Farminga2, Gardensa2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

carefully
deliberately

preposition

in
with

phrases

densely planted
newly planted
recently planted
…

[often passive] to cover or supply a garden, area of land, etc. with plants在（某处）栽种

plant something The children are planting a garden next to the school.孩子们正在学校旁边的花园里栽种。
They have planted five acres of vines.他们种植了五英亩的葡萄藤。
a densely planted orange grove栽植稠密的橘树林
be planted with something The field had been ploughed and planted with corn.这块地已犁过并种上了玉米。

Extra Examples

The garden was planted with roses and other shrubs.花园里种着玫瑰和其他灌木。
The Bordeaux area is densely planted with vine.波尔多地区密集种植着葡萄。

Topics Farminga2, Gardensa2

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

carefully
deliberately

preposition

in
with

phrases

densely planted
newly planted
recently planted
…

put in position

plant something/yourself + adv./prep. to place something or yourself in a particular place or position放置；安放；站立

They planted a flag on the summit.他们在山顶上插了一面旗子。
He planted himself squarely in front of us.他正对我们站着。
She was determined to keep both feet firmly planted on dry land.她决心把双脚牢牢地踩在干燥的土地上。

Extra Examples

She planted a kiss squarely on his cheek.她郑重地在他面颊上印上一个吻。
Demonstrators planted themselves right in front of the convoy of trucks.示威者站在卡车车队前面。

Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb

firmly
squarely

preposition

bomb

plant something (+ adv./prep.) to hide something such as a bomb in a place where it will not be found（秘密）放置，安置

something illegal

plant something (on somebody) to hide something, especially something illegal, in somebody’s clothing, possessions, etc. so that when it is found it will look as though they committed a crime（给某人）栽（赃）

He claims that the drugs were planted on him.他声称这些毒品是别人给他栽的赃。

person

plant somebody (in something) to send somebody to join a group, etc., especially in order to make secret reports on its members使卧底；安插（密探）

The police had planted an informer in the gang.警方在该团伙中安插了一名线人。

thought/idea

plant something (in something) to make somebody think or believe something, especially without them realizing that you gave them the idea（尤指潜移默化地）使（思想、信念等）植根于

He planted the first seeds of doubt in my mind.是他最初启发我起疑心的。

Word OriginOld English plante ‘seedling’, plantian (verb), from Latin planta ‘sprout, cutting’ (later influenced by French plante) and plantare ‘plant, fix in a place’.