fertilizer

American  

[fur-tl-ahy-zer] / ˈfɜr tlˌaɪ zər /

noun

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

2. a person, insect, etc., that fertilizes an animal or plant.

   Bees are fertilizers of flowers.

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fertilizer British  

/ ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪzə /

noun

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

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

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fertilizer Scientific  

/ fûr′tl-ī′zər /

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of fertilizer

First recorded in 1655–65; fertilize + -er ¹

Explanation

Material you add to a garden to increase the nutrients in the soil and help plants grow is called fertilizer. If your rosebushes are looking a little sad, you might want to try using fertilizer. To fertilize is to make something fertile, or to encourage it to grow or reproduce. These words, along with fertilizer, come from the Latin fertilis, "bearing in abundance, fruitful, or productive." The most common kind of organic fertilizer is animal manure or peat, and other fertilizers are made of specific nutrients like nitrogen or potassium. Fertilizers are usually solid, though they come in liquid form as well.

Example Sentences

He uses liquid fertilizer as a supplement, mainly to meet the crops’ nitrogen requirements, and prices for that product have risen about 64%.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Binaghi has been doing what he can to manage his fertilizer costs.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Now he’s worried that if he doesn’t find the right ways to lower fertilizer and other farming input costs, his bottom line will suffer again.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

The results deliver readings for specific nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium so that each field can get the right fertilizer, with the right amount of nutrients it needs for more efficient production.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Dad’s already warned me about how sorry I’ll be if Wexford-Smythe University pulls out of here because they don’t like having fertilizer dumped in their mail slot.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• manure