[fur-tl-ahy-zer] 
| 1. | any substance used to fertilize the soil, esp. a commercial or chemical manure. |
| 2. | a person, insect, etc., that fertilizes an animal or plant: Bees are fertilizers of flowers. |
| fer·til·iz·er (fûr'tl-ī'zər) n. Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compounds, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth. |
| fertilizer (fûr'tl-ī'zər) Pronunciation Key
Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth. Synthetic fertilizers can greatly increase the productivity of soil but have high energy costs, since fossil fuels are required as a source of hydrogen, which is necessary to fix nitrogen in ammonia. |
tlˌaɪ