cross-fertilization

[kraws-fur-tl-uh-zey-shuhn, kros-]

noun

1. Biology.,  the fertilization of an organism by the fusion of an egg from one individual with a sperm or male gamete from a different individual.

2. Botany.,  fertilization of the flower of one plant by a gamete from the flower of a closely related plant (self-fertilization ).

3. (not in technical use) cross-pollination.

4. interaction or interchange, as between two or more cultures, fields of activity or knowledge, or the like, that is mutually beneficial and productive.

   a cross-fertilization of scientific and technical disciplines.

cross-fertilization

noun

1. fertilization by the fusion of male and female gametes from different individuals of the same species Compare self-fertilization

cross-fertilization

1. The fertilization that occurs when the nucleus of a male sex cell from one individual joins with the nucleus of a female sex cell from another individual. In plants, cross-pollination is an example of cross-fertilization.

2. Also called allogamy

3. Compare self-fertilization

cross-fertilization

1. The fertilization of the ovum of one plant by the sperm of another plant.

Other Word Forms

• cross-fertile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cross-fertilization¹

First recorded in 1875–80