- 1 [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 All plants need light and water. flowering/garden/indoor plants a tomato/potato plant the animal and plant life of the area CollocationsThe 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 preyPlants 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 photosynthesisBacteria 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 (especially US English) harbor bacteria/a virus kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria see also bedding plant, houseplant, pot plant, rubber plant Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedelicate, wild, native, … verb + plantcultivate, grow, water, … plant + verbdevelop, grow, flourish, … plant + nounroots, growth, life, … See full entry See related entries: Plants factory
- 2 [countable] a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place a nuclear reprocessing plant Japanese car plants a chemical plant see also sewage plant Synonymsfactoryplant mill works yard workshop foundryThese are all words for buildings or places where things are made or where industrial processes take place.factory a building or group of buildings where goods are made:a chocolate/cigarette/clothing factoryplant a factory or place where power is produced or an industrial process takes place:a nuclear power plant a manufacturing plantmill a factory that produces a particular type of material:a cotton/paper/textile/woollen millworks (often in compounds) a place where things are made or an industrial process takes place:a brickworks a steelworks Raw materials were carried to the works by barge.yard (usually in compounds) an area of land used for building something:a shipyardworkshop a room or building in which things are made or repaired using tools or machinery:a car repair workshopfoundry a factory where metal or glass is melted and made into different shapes or objects:an iron foundryPatterns a car/chemical/munitions factory/plant an engineering plant/works to manage/run a factory/plant/mill/works/yard/workshop/foundry to work in/at a factory/plant/mill/yard/workshop/foundry factory/mill/foundry owners/managers/workers Wordfinderfactoryassembly line, capacity, factory, foreman, plant, process, production, shift, shop floor, workforce Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveindustrial, assembly, manufacturing, … verb + plantbuild, manage, run, … plant + verbproduce something plant + nounmanager See full entry See related entries: The car industry, Manufacturing machinery
- 3[uncountable] the large machinery that is used in industrial processes The company has been investing in new plant and equipment. something illegal
- 4[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 He claimed that the drugs found in his house were a plant. person
- 5[countable] a person who joins a group of criminals or enemies in order to get and secretly report information about their activities Word OriginOld English plante ‘seedling’, plantian (verb), from Latin planta ‘sprout, cutting’ (later influenced by French plante) and plantare ‘plant, fix in a place’.Extra examples Plants absorb carbon in the form of carbon dioxide. The butterfly’s sole food plant is wild lupine. a waste reprocessing plant food plants of rare butterflies a nuclear power plant a sewage (treatment) plant a/an assembly/manufacturing/production plant
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//plɑːnt//; NAmE NAmE//plænt//
The car industry, Manufacturing, Plants
Check pronunciation: plant
