fertilizer

[fur-tl-ahy-zer]

noun

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.

fertilizer

/ 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

fertilizer

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertilizer¹

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

Example Sentences

The chemical industry remains a cornerstone of the global economy, producing a vast range of goods—from medicines and fertilizers to plastics, paints, electronics, cleaning agents, and toiletries.

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Steep fertilizer costs and low soybean prices have made it hard to make ends meet this year.

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By squeezing margins, the tax discourages the use of expensive patented seeds and fertilizers.

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The droppings of rodents and birds and every other animal act as a natural fertilizer.

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As Ms. Gaul shows through wide-ranging detective work, Egyptian farmers were obliged to rely on artificial fertilizers and year-round irrigation after successive efforts to dam the Nile eventually shut down the river’s age-old fertilization cycle.

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Related Words

• manure