The Greek term encompasses both the act of sowing and the seed itself, with extended meanings of offspring and origin. Classical usage speaks of 'procreation' and 'birth lineage.' Peter deploys this agricultural and generative imagery to describe spiritual rebirth—believers have been born again through imperishable seed, the living word of God. While the term could mean literal seed-time or planted fields, Peter's context demands the metaphorical sense of life-generating source. The translations vary between 'seed' (English, Spanish simiente) and 'sowing' (German Saat), both capturing the generative concept.