fertilizer

[ fur-tl-ahy-zer ]

/ ˈfɜr tlˌaɪ zər /

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See synonyms for fertilizer on Thesaurus.com

noun

any substance used to fertilize the soil, especially a commercial or chemical manure.

a person, insect, etc., that fertilizes an animal or plant: Bees are fertilizers of flowers.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of fertilizer

First recorded in 1655–65; fertilize + -er¹

Words nearby fertilizer

fertility cult, fertility drug, fertility symbol, fertilization, fertilize, fertilizer, fertilizin, ferula, ferule, ferulic acid, ferv.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fertilizer in a sentence

The best options allow you to simply insert the fertilizer directly into your plant, strengthening it over time.
Plant food spikes to level up your foliage|PopSci Commerce Team|January 25, 2021|Popular-Science
The emissions are then either stored or sold for other uses, including fertilizer or even to add bubbles found in soda-type drinks.
Elon Musk is donating $100M to find the best carbon capture technology|Kirsten Korosec|January 22, 2021|TechCrunch
These are ploughed and injected with a mixture of water, natural fertilizer and cereal seeds as it passes.
Future Cities: New Challenges Mean We Need to Reimagine the Look of Urban Landscapes|Nick Dunn|December 18, 2020|Singularity Hub
The steady march of higher yields was achieved by using large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides, as well as by discarding local crop varieties that were deemed unfavorable.
Technology can help us feed the world, if we look beyond profit|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

In this field, and many others like it, the ground had been prepared by a machine, the seedlings transplanted by a machine, and the pesticides and fertilizers applied by a machine.
How technology might finally start telling farmers things they didn’t already know|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
So the candidate stood up on the fertilizer mound and gave his speech.
The Daily Show President: Obama's Edgy Humor|Dean Obeidallah|July 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When it was harvested en masse, it was frequently ground up as fertilizer.
My Big, Buttery Lobster Roll Rumble: We Came, We Clawed, We Conquered|Scott Bixby|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Initial testing of the fertilizer was positive; the Sanergy plot yielded 30% more sorghum than a non-fertilized plot.
Toilet Made for Densely Populated Settlements Turns Waste Into Dollars|Mike Miesen|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This year, it will begin to sell its fertilizer to farmers, and aims to have 1,000 toilets in use by the end of 2015.
Toilet Made for Densely Populated Settlements Turns Waste Into Dollars|Mike Miesen|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Police in Thailand recently investigated a case in which five human skulls were found in a fertilizer bag.
Burundi’s Black Market Skull Trade|Margot Kiser|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Menhaden fish, found near the surface of the water, are inedible but are now being used for making fertilizer and oil in Virginia.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Unlike most land adapted for tobacco, large crops are grown without the aid of any fertilizer whatever.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Harrowing makes finer the lumps near the surface, and mixes the fertilizer deeper than a rake can be used.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Joe walked with a fine, free stride, and dropped the fertilizer from his hand with a perfectly rhythmic gesture.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
A liberal quantity of some good fertilizer should be added to it.
Amateur Gardencraft|Eben E. Rexford

British Dictionary definitions for fertilizer

fertilizer

fertiliser

/ (ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪzə) /

noun

any substance, such as manure or a mixture of nitrates, added to soil or water to increase its productivity

an object or organism such as an insect that fertilizes an animal or plant

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

Scientific definitions for fertilizer

fertilizer

[ fûr′tl-ī′zər ]

Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth. Synthetic fertilizers can greatly increase the productivity of soil but have high energy costs, since fossil fuels are required as a source of hydrogen, which is necessary to fix nitrogen in ammonia.

fertilizer

Origin of fertilizer

Words nearby fertilizer

Words related to fertilizer

How to use fertilizer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fertilizer

fertiliser

Scientific definitions for fertilizer