Recede vs. Reseed

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Grammarist

Recede and reseed are two words that are pronounced in the same manner but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the definitions of the words recede and reseed, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Recede means to move backward or to ebb away from a previous position. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center of the United States use the word recede when forecasting when areas that have been flooded by storm surges from tropical storms or hurricanes will return to normal. Recede may also mean to slope backward or to diminish in a gradual fashion. When referring to hair, recede describes the process of hair loss that occurs when the hair stops growing above the forehead. Recede is an intransitive verb, which is a verb that does not take an object. Related words are recedes, receded, receding. The word recede is derived from the Latin word recedere which means to withdraw or fall back.

Reseed means to plant seeds a second time, to sow seeds over an area of land another time, especially when referring to grass seed. Reseed is a transitive verb or a verb that takes an object. Related words are reseeds, reseeded, reseeding. The word reseed is derived from the Old English word sæd, meaning a grain of seed and the prefix re-, which means again or once more.

Examples

Days of powerful winds from Hurricane Irma have caused some area waterways, including Santa Rosa Sound, to recede. (The Pensacola News Journal)

It will take more than a month for Harvey’s trillions of gallons of water to completely recede. (The New York Post)

In areas where you want wispy flowers to reseed, use little or no mulch as seeds need direct soil contact to germinate. (The Austin American-Statesman)

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