1.
seed; plant seed
The reproductive unit of a plant, containing the embryo and stored nutrients. A more formal or scientific term compared to the everyday word 種.
種子をまく。
To sow seeds.
この植物は種子で増える。
This plant propagates by seed.
絶滅危惧種の種子を保存するための施設がある。
There are facilities for preserving the seeds of endangered species.
USAGE:
種子 is the formal or scientific term for seeds. In everyday conversation, 種 is more common. 種子 appears frequently in botany, agriculture, and environmental contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 種子植物 (seed plant)
- 種子を保存する (to preserve seeds)
- 種子島 (Tanegashima — note: different reading たねがしま)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 種: seed — the everyday word, also means cause or material
- 実: fruit, nut — the mature seed-bearing part of a plant