fertilizer

American  

[fur-tl-ahy-zer] / ˈfɜr tlˌaɪ zər /

noun

• fertilizers
  plural

1. any substance used to fertilize the soil, especially a commercial or chemical manure.

2. a person, insect, etc., that fertilizes an animal or plant.

   Bees are fertilizers of flowers.

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fertilizer British  

/ ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪzə /

noun

1. any substance, such as manure or a mixture of nitrates, added to soil or water to increase its productivity

2. an object or organism such as an insect that fertilizes an animal or plant

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fertilizer Scientific  

/ fûr′tl-ī′zər /

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fertilizers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fertilizer

First recorded in 1655–65; fertilize + -er ¹

Explanation

Material you add to a garden to increase the nutrients in the soil and help plants grow is called fertilizer. If your rosebushes are looking a little sad, you might want to try using fertilizer. To fertilize is to make something fertile, or to encourage it to grow or reproduce. These words, along with fertilizer, come from the Latin fertilis, "bearing in abundance, fruitful, or productive." The most common kind of organic fertilizer is animal manure or peat, and other fertilizers are made of specific nutrients like nitrogen or potassium. Fertilizers are usually solid, though they come in liquid form as well.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fertilizer fertilizers

The war in Iran has pinched Central Valley farmers — already struggling with water supply and other issues — by driving up fertilizer prices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

He conducts tours of the White House helipad while promoting a fertilizer brand on national television.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Wholesale prices reflect what businesses pay for supplies to produce their goods and services — think auto parts for carmakers, fertilizer for farmers or meat and cheese for restaurants.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

Mr. Stier raises legitimate concerns about fertilizer and trade policy, and the complex agricultural supply chains they affect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The floor was swept bare, with bags of seed and fertilizer stacked neatly by the door.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker

It is then converted into sulfuric acid, which reacts with mined phosphate rock to produce phosphoric acid used to make phosphate fertilizers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

In agriculture, fertilizers can be enclosed inside PHA beads that gradually release their contents as the plastic breaks down.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

It said they’re now able to withstand freak weather and require less nitrogen based fertilizers to get the same crops.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

They were looking for a steady source of raw milk at a time when consumers were waking up to the risks of food contaminated by additives, fertilizers and pesticides.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

It was grown without the help of fossil fuels, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Related Words

• manure