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

Example Sentences

We were somewhat at the tail end of that cross-fertilization.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Music has historically been the country’s ethnically richest art form, particularly embodied in the multicultural story of jazz and in today’s cross-fertilization between popular genres.

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The overlap reflects the growing cross-fertilization of official statements and state media reports in the two countries, especially regarding the United States.

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Kelly says he sees the move into L.A. as a “two-way cross-fertilization.”

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“Artists come to experiment and try new ideas. This innately creates a cross-fertilization where the artists’ new ideas influence the Museum of Glass team and the team’s expertise influences artists’ work,” she explains.

Read more on Seattle Times