implant

/ɪmˈplænt/

/ˈɪmplænt/

Other forms: implanted; implants; implanting

When you implant something, you place or embed it solidly: you might implant marbles in the damp concrete of a newly poured sidewalk, for example.

There are a couple of different ways to implant something — the first is to physically fix an item deeply, the way you might implant a croquet wicket in the ground. A more figurative way to implant is to settle an idea into someone's mind. You could accidentally implant a fear of highway driving in your younger brother's mind, for example, by telling him stories of traffic accidents. Implant comes from the French word implanter, "to insert."

Definitions of implant

1. verb

   fix or set securely or deeply
   “The dentist implanted a tooth in the gum”

   synonyms: embed, engraft, imbed, plant

   types:

   pot

   plant in a pot

   nest

   fit together or fit inside

   bury, sink

   embed deeply

   repot

   put in a new, usually larger, pot

   countersink, set

   insert (a nail or screw below the surface, as into a countersink)

   type of:

   enter, infix, insert, introduce

   put or introduce into something
2. verb

   become attached to and embedded in the uterus
   “The egg fertilized in vitro implanted in the uterus of the birth mother with no further complications”

   type of:

   attach

   become attached
3. verb

   put firmly in the mind
   synonyms: plant

   type of:

   communicate, pass, pass along, pass on, put across

   transmit information
4. noun

   a prosthesis placed permanently in tissue
   types:

   artificial heart

   a pump that replaces the natural heart

   artificial joint

   a metal or plastic part that is surgically implanted to replace a natural joint (possibly elbow or wrist but usually hip or knee)

   breast implant

   an implant for cosmetic purposes to replace a breast that has been surgically removed

   dental implant

   an implant that replaces a natural tooth

   heart valve

   an implant that replaces a natural cardiac valve

   IOL, interocular lens implant, lens implant

   a clear plastic lens that is implanted in the eye; usually done when the natural lens has been removed in a cataract operation

   penile implant

   an implant that creates an artificial erection

   shunt

   implant consisting of a tube made of plastic or rubber; for draining fluids within the body

   accommodating IOL, accommodating lens implant

   a lens implant containing a hinge that allows for both near and far vision (thus mimicking the natural lens of a young person)

   Jarvik artificial heart, Jarvik heart

   a kind of artificial heart that has been used with some success

   monofocal IOL, monofocal lens implant

   a lens with a single focus that is used after cataract surgery to provide clear distance vision

   multifocal IOL, multifocal lens implant

   a type of lens implant that contains several rings with a common center and adjusts for near or far vision; the eye is in focus for near and far vision simultaneously

   type of:

   prosthesis, prosthetic device

   corrective consisting of a replacement for a part of the body