Learn English – Why do we say “plant a kiss”

meaningmetaphorsnouns

The term plant means a living organism; a thing with roots, shoots and leaves that needs water and sun in order to grow. So why do we say "to plant a kiss"?

She planted a kiss…

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Best Answer

The verb comes to us circuitously from the Latin plantare, which had the same two related senses that we use, the one agricultural and the other meaning to fix in place. In the latter case, we plant ourselves into a position to fight, we plant spies in the enemy's camp, and we plant kisses on the cheeks of our beloveds.