Etymology: In Old English < classical Latin planta (see below); subsequently (in branch I.) reinforced by Anglo-Norman plante, plaunte plant (second half of the 13th cent. or earlier), young shoot (c1292 or earlier), young tree (early 14th cent. or earlier) and Middle French plante, plaunte, plente (French plante ) plant (1342 or earlier; 1377 or earlier in figurative use (compare sense 1b), though apparently not used with reference to people until 1685), young shoot, seedling (1467, now obsolete in this sense) < classical Latin planta young plant, seedling, slip, cutting, graft, in post-classical Latin also plant in general (13th cent.), probably < plantāre plant v.; compare Middle French plant young shoot (1407), plants collectively (1495; < planter plant v.). Compare Old Occitan, Occitan planta (1149 in sense 1, second half of the 13th cent. in sense 2), Catalan planta (late 13th cent. in sense 2), Spanish llanta (c1250 in sense 1, c1275 in sense 2), planta (a1250 in sense 2), Portuguese planta (14th cent. in sense 2), Italian pianta (beginning of the 14th cent. in sense 2; earlier as †planti (plural; 13th cent. in sense 2)). In branch II. < plant v. (compare especially 4).The Latin word was also borrowed into other Germanic languages; compare Middle Dutch plante (Dutch plant ), Middle Low German plant , plante , Old High German pflanza , flanza (Middle High German phlanze , German Pflanze ), Old Icelandic planta , Old Danish planta (Danish plante ), Old Swedish, Swedish planta . Also attested early as a surname:1301 in R. Stewart-Brown Cheshire in Pipe Rolls (1938) 205 Ricardo Plant. In spite of the apparent implications of quot. 1789 at sense 5a does not appear to have a model in French; however, perhaps compare French plan plan n. With plant cot n. at Compounds 5 compare earlier plantiecrue n. With plant geography n. at Compounds 5 compare German Pflanzengeographie (1823 or earlier), Danish plantegeografi (1852 or earlier; 1822 as †plantegeographie ). In plant of gluttony n. at Compounds 5 after Gaelic lus-a'-chraois. In plant pathologist n. at Compounds 5 after German Pflanzenpathologe (1889 in the passage translated in quot. 1894 for plant pathologist n. at Compounds 5). With plant pathology n. at Compounds 5 compare German Pflanzenpathologie (1807 or earlier). With plant physiology n. at Compounds 5 compare German Pflanzenphysiologie (1798 or earlier). With plant-plot n. at Compounds 5 compare classical Latin plantārium (in post-classical Latin also in figurative use; see plantarium n.).

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Middle French plante (also in Anglo-Norman as plaunte; c1150 in Old French; French plante ) and its etymon classical Latin planta sole of the foot, ultimately < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek πλατύς broad (see plat adv.). Compare Old Occitan planta (c1350 or earlier; Occitan planta del pè), Catalan planta (c1400), Spanish planta (c1200 or earlier), Portuguese planta (14th cent.; now planta do pé), Italian pianta (a1292).

Etymology: < French †plant (see plan n., and compare the Italian cognate cited at that entry). Compare earlier plan n.

Etymology: In Old English < classical Latin plantāre (see below); subsequently reinforced by Anglo-Norman plaunter and Anglo-Norman Old French, Middle French, French planter to plant (a seed or growing thing) in the earth (c1130), to insert (a thing) firmly in the ground or in another thing (1188), to put (a thing) in place (1188), to stand (a thing) in an upright position (c1240), to bury (a person) (c1374 or earlier; rare, now obsolete), to hide, conceal (a thing) (second half of the 15th cent. in Villon, rare), to place or station (oneself) (1512, used reflexively), to abandon (a person or thing) (1557, earliest with a person as object; 1646 or earlier in the phrase planter là ), in Anglo-Norman also to found, establish (a religion or doctrine), to build, erect (buildings) (both late 13th cent. or earlier), to settle, establish (a person) in a place (early 14th cent. or earlier in reflexive use, end of the 14th cent. or earlier in transitive use) < classical Latin plantāre to propagate from cuttings, to press into the ground with the feet, in post-classical Latin also to cause to prosper, to found, establish, to place firmly (Vulgate), to establish a person in a doctrine or precept (3rd cent.), to instil in the mind or heart (5th cent. or later), to implant, to settle (12th cent., 1624 in British sources), to settle, colonize (c1362 in a British source) < planta plant n.¹Compare Old Occitan, Occitan plantar (second half of the 12th cent.), Catalan plantar (13th cent.), Spanish plantar (1148), Italian piantare (1280), Portuguese plantar (1025 in past participle †plamtato ), all earliest in sense 1a. The Latin verb was also borrowed into other Germanic languages, often at an early date: compare Old Frisian plantia , plontia (West Frisian plantsje ), Middle Dutch, Dutch planten , Middle Low German planten , Old High German phlanzōn (Middle High German phlanzen , German pflanzen ), Old Icelandic, Icelandic planta , and (via Middle Low German) Old Swedish, Swedish planta , Old Danish, Danish plante . In Old English the prefixed form geplantian is also attested; compare also aplantian to plant, oferplantian overplant v., underplantian underplant v. With sense 9a compare French (colloquial) †planter un soufflet sur to slap (a person) (1718). With sense 9b compare French planter un baiser (1671, subsequently from 1869 in Littré; earlier in Old French (1250 in an apparently isolated attestation)).