fructify

American  

[fruhk-tuh-fahy, frook-, frook-] / ˈfrʌk təˌfaɪ, ˈfrʊk-, ˈfruk- /

verb (used without object)

fructified, fructifying

1. to bear fruit; become fruitful.

   With careful tending the plant will fructify.

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verb (used with object)

fructified, fructifying

1. to make fruitful or productive; fertilize.

   warm spring rains fructifying the earth.

fructify British  

/ ˈfrʊk-, ˈfrʌktɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to bear or cause to bear fruit

2. to make or become productive or fruitful

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Other Word Forms

• fructifier noun
• superfructified adjective
• unfructified adjective

Etymology

Origin of fructify

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English fructifien, from Old French fructifier, from Latin frūctificāre; see origin at fructi-, -fy

Explanation

A newly planted apple tree can take years to fructify, but when it does there will be plenty of apples to go around. To fructify is to “produce fruit,” or “become fruitful.” Fructify means “to bear fruit,” as in “Soon the orange grove will fructify and we will harvest the oranges.” Fructify can also refer to a seed that grows or fructifies into a healthy plant. More generally, though, the verb fructify means either “to make productive” or “to become productive.” Investing money can fructify medical research, which will in turn fructify with new cures and treatments. You could say that a company will fructify, or become fruitful, if everyone works together.

Example Sentences

“Money,” Cowperthwaite said, should be left “to fructify in the pockets of taxpayers”.

From Economist • Oct. 5, 2017

“We’re just starting to see that interest in the sport beginning to fructify now … this fight is bankable,” Nelson said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2017

There was the old Gladstonian expression, 'Let the money fructify in the pockets of the people.'

From Time Magazine Archive

It will be interesting to see the many wonders which will fructify from the works of these two modern "brothers" in Christ.

From Time Magazine Archive

His intentions, I can answer for it, had been the best; but he leads so migratory a life that I don't see how any intention can ever well fructify.

From The Letters of Henry James (volume I) by James, Henry