cross-fertilize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cross-fertilize
First recorded in 1875–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
James Huckenpahler’s digital prints cross-fertilize portraits from the Brady-Handy collection of Civil War-era photography with images from the artist’s computer.
From Washington Post • Jul. 26, 2018
But the line behind her, filled with a generation of comics who’ve managed to cross-fertilize standup and with a contemporary, queer sensibility, is growing rapidly, and comedy’s evolving apparatus can barely keep pace.
From The Guardian • Jun. 8, 2018
The practical benefit is that the multiple projects cross-fertilize each other.
From Time • Oct. 6, 2016
If other barnacles also use ocean currents to cross-fertilize, scientists may have to rework their population models, he says.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 16, 2013
Flies, which visit the dirty, yellowish-green flowers in abundance, must cross-fertilize them, as the anthers mature before the stigmas are ready to receive pollen.
From Wild Flowers An Aid to Knowledge of Our Wild Flowers and Their Insect Visitors by Blanchan, Neltje
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
