fertilize
Americanverb (used with object)
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Biology.
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to render (the female gamete) capable of development by uniting it with the male gamete.
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to fecundate or impregnate (an animal or plant).
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to make fertile; enrich.
to fertilize farmland.
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to make productive.
verb
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to provide (an animal, plant, or egg cell) with sperm or pollen to bring about fertilization
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to supply (soil or water) with mineral and organic nutrients to aid the growth of plants
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to make fertile or productive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fertilize
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.
Fertilize: “These plants eat more than you think they eat,” Selody said.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2024
Fertilize with a good organic lawn fertilizer and keep the soil surface moist.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 9, 2022
Fertilize your lawn with nitrogen four times a year, and leave your grass clippings on it, Baird says.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2022
Fertilize: In addition to adding complete fertilizer to the soil, use a soluble fertilizer like fish emulsion around transplants, especially early in the season or if the plants are not thriving.
From Seattle Times • May 5, 2021
Fertilize well and plough, or if the plot is small, spade.
From The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. by Shaw, Ellen Eddy
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.
