Cede and seed

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Grammarist

Cede and seed are two words that are pronounced in the same way but are spelled differently and have two different meanings. They are homophones. We will examine the difference in meaning between the words cede and seed, where the words come from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Cede means to give away, to surrender a right, territory or power, either literally or figuratively. Cede may refer to something concrete such as a piece of land or something abstract such as an idea in a philosophical argument. Cede is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are cedes, ceded, ceding. It is derived from the Latin word cedere, which means to give up, to yield.

A seed is the reproductive part of a flowering plant that has the capability of growing into a new version of that plant. Seed is also used figuratively to mean the beginning of something, the germ of an idea or process. It may also mean the ranking of players in a certain sport. Seed is used as a noun and as a transitive verb, to mean to plant seeds, either literally or figuratively, or to be ranked in a sport. Related words are seeds, seeded, seeding. The word seed is derived from the Old English words sed, which mean what may be sown, offspring.

Examples

Governor Samuel Ortom has consistently said at every forum that Benue State would never cede any part of its land to anybody, no matter whom. (The Nation)

Defeated Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh has agreed to cede power to the country’s newly inaugurated leader, a Senegalese government official confirmed late Friday. (USA Today)

Saturday’s event, coinciding with National Seed Swap Day, featured activities like seedbomb making and workshops explaining the basics and importance of the seed saving movement. (The Lincoln Star Journal)

The Chugiak Mustangs beat their rivals and clinched the No. 2 seed in the Cook Inlet Conference hockey tournament Saturday night at the McDonald Center. (The Alaska Daily News)