How to Use seed coat in a Sentence
seed coat
noun-
Soak seeds overnight in a bowl of water to soften the seed coat and discard any seeds that float.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
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Seeds need the right conditions to break out of their protective seed coat.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
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What is an impermeable seed coat?
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
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Once tucked inside the seed coat, the starches, oils, and protein in endosperm keep for months.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
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Clean the seeds well to remove any pulp or sugars clinging to the seed coat, as these will encourage disease.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
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To grow parsley indoors, soften the seed coat by soaking the seeds in water overnight prior to planting.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026
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Some seeds complicate matters by producing a hard seed coat that does not allow water to get into the seed.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
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And some seeds are covered in a very hard seed coat that inhibits germination by blocking water from getting through.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2025
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Students are also taught that unlike the seed coats on Mendel’s peas, most human traits aren’t driven by single genes.
—Megan Molteni, STAT, 7 Apr. 2026
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In the case of masa, the calcium hydroxide dissolves part of the outer seed coat of corn kernels and breaks down the fats and proteins in the germ.
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 June 2024
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Their seeds adhere to random tree branches due to a sticky viscin on the seed coat that even survives its journey through a bird’s digestive system.
—Matt Kasson, Popular Science, 17 Dec. 2025
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Treat the Seed Coat If Needed Some seeds need a helping hand to break through their tough seed coat.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
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If the outer coating is exceptionally hard, seeds may need even more help by nicking the seed coat before soaking.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 12 Mar. 2026
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The process of weathering and/or microbial action gradually breaks down that seed coat to let the water in, but that process may take several years.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
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Morning glory and sweet pea seeds, for example, germinate best when nicked with a nail clipper, just enough to break the seed coat so moisture can enter more easily.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
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The impermeable seed coat strategy generally helps survival of the species by making sure all of a season’s crop don’t germinate in the same year.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Nov. 2025
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Most varieties of quinoa seeds are ready to harvest about 90-100 days after planting, when the seed coat is barely dented by a fingernail.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026
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Psyllium—also called psyllium seed husk and ispaghula husk—is milled from the husks, or seed coats, of the seeds of the psyllium plant, the FDA explains.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 23 Feb. 2026
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Squash Beets Beans Pumpkin Corn Chard Super hard seeds like beans will benefit from nicking the seed coat with a sandpaper block, file, or sharp knife before soaking.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2026
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'seed coat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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