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fertilize

[ fur-tl-ahyz ]
/ ˈfɜr tlˌaɪz /
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verb (used with object), fer·ti·lized, fer·ti·liz·ing.
Biology.
  1. to render (the female gamete) capable of development by uniting it with the male gamete.
  2. to fecundate or impregnate (an animal or plant).
to make fertile; enrich: to fertilize farmland.
to make productive.
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Also especially British, fer·ti·lise .

Origin of fertilize

First recorded in 1640–50; fertile + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM fertilize

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use fertilize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fertilize

fertilize

fertilise

/ (ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪz) /

verb (tr)
to provide (an animal, plant, or egg cell) with sperm or pollen to bring about fertilization
to supply (soil or water) with mineral and organic nutrients to aid the growth of plants
to make fertile or productive

Derived forms of fertilize

fertilizable or fertilisable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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