Seeds of the desert wildflower germinate only after a heavy rain, when moisture penetrates the hard soil.
沙漠野花的种子只有在暴雨后、水分渗透坚硬土壤时才会发芽。
Which choice best defines “germinate”?
D — Start growing. “germinate” means start growing.
Which word means “start growing”?
A — germinate. “germinate” means start growing.
germinate — start growing. In Chinese: 发芽，萌发.
germinate is pronounced /ˈdʒɜːrmɪneɪt/.
Seeds of the desert wildflower germinate only after a heavy rain, when moisture penetrates the hard soil. (沙漠野花的种子只有在暴雨后、水分渗透坚硬土壤时才会发芽。)
sprout, develop, emerge — all close in meaning to germinate (start growing).
wither, die — each the opposite of germinate (start growing).
Yes. germinate is on the SAT Prep Basic list — the everyday academic words the SAT assumes you already have. The Digital SAT does not test vocabulary in isolation; words like this one are tested through Words in Context questions, where you choose the word that completes a passage most logically and precisely.
germ (embryo, sprout) + inate (cause).