self-sown seed; volunteer plant
Refers to seeds that fall naturally and germinate without human planting, or the resulting seedlings. Common in gardening contexts.
A sprout came up in the garden from a self-sown seed.
Euphemistic or old-fashioned term for a child born out of wedlock, especially one fathered by a master with a servant. Rare in modern usage.
In old novels, the word こぼれ種 is sometimes used.
Full kanji spelling; less common and may be harder to read.
Katakana spelling for 種; sometimes used for emphasis or in casual writing.
Compound of こぼれ (spilled, scattered) and 種 (seed). The figurative sense 'illegitimate child' likely derives from the image of a seed scattered outside the proper field.