First recorded in 1895–1900
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"For decades, scientists have been trying to develop cereal crops that produce active root nodules, or trying to colonize cereals with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without much success. We used a different approach," Blumwald said.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025
The researchers describe a process in which phosphorus delivered by upwelling deep water and nitrogen supplied by nitrogen-fixing bacteria together fuel the blooms seen over past decades.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 19, 2025
The results in Nature Communications find that symbiotic, nitrogen-fixing bacteria can ensure dominance among soil microbes due to its signalling-based communication with the legume plant host.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024
"For years, we have been finding gene fragments encoding the nitrogen-fixing nitrogenase enzyme, which appeared to belong to one particular non-cyanobacterial nitrogen fixer," says Marcel Kuypers, lead author on the study.
From Science Daily ● May 9, 2024
The nitrogen-fixing rhizobia in root nodules, the mycetomes of insects, and the enzyme-producing colonies in the digestive tracts of many animals are variations of this meticulously symmetrical symbiosis.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
“And they indicate that nitrogen fixing can reduce the amount of nitrogen fertiliser required by 50%. That’s represents a saving for the grower and it’s good for the environment.”
From Forbes ● Jan. 26, 2015
"Are these bacteria different from the nitrogen fixing bacteria?" asked Mr. Thornton.
From The Story of the Soil; from the Basis of Absolute Science and Real Life, by Hopkins, Cyril G. (Cyril George)
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.
