The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Germinate \Ger"mi*nate\, v. t.
   To cause to sprout. --Price (1610).
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Germinate \Ger"mi*nate\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Germinated; p.
   pr. & vb. n. Germinating.] [L. germinatus, p. p. of
   germinare to sprout, fr. germen. See Germ.]
   To sprout; to bud; to shoot; to begin to vegetate, as a plant
   or its seed; to begin to develop, as a germ. --Bacon.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

germinate
    v 1: produce buds, branches, or germinate; "the potatoes
         sprouted" [syn: shoot, spud, germinate, pullulate,
         bourgeon, burgeon forth, sprout]
    2: work out; "We have developed a new theory of evolution" [syn:
       evolve, germinate, develop]
    3: cause to grow or sprout; "the plentiful rain germinated my
       plants"