fertilize
[ fur-tl-ahyz ]
verb (used with object),fer·ti·lized, fer·ti·liz·ing.
Biology.
to render (the female gamete) capable of development by uniting it with the male gamete.
to fecundate or impregnate (an animal or plant).
to make fertile; enrich: to fertilize farmland.
to make productive.
Origin of fertilize
1- Also especially British, fer·ti·lise .
Other words from fertilize
- fer·ti·liz·a·ble, adjective
- fer·ti·liz·a·bil·i·ty, noun
- o·ver·fer·ti·lize, verb (used with object), o·ver·fer·ti·lized, o·ver·fer·ti·liz·ing.
- pre·fer·ti·lize, verb (used with object), pre·fer·ti·lized, pre·fer·ti·liz·ing.
- re·fer·ti·liz·a·ble, adjective
- re·fer·ti·lize, verb (used with object), re·fer·ti·lized, re·fer·ti·liz·ing.
- un·fer·ti·liz·a·ble, adjective
- un·fer·ti·lized, adjective
- un·fer·ti·liz·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for fertilize
fertilize
fertilise
/ (ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪz) /
verb(tr)
to provide (an animal, plant, or egg cell) with sperm or pollen to bring about fertilization
to supply (soil or water) with mineral and organic nutrients to aid the growth of plants
to make fertile or productive
Derived forms of fertilize
- fertilizable or fertilisable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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