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fertilize

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.12 sec.
fer·til·ize  (fûrtl-z)
v. fer·til·ized, fer·til·iz·ing, fer·til·iz·es
v.tr.
1. To cause the fertilization of (an ovum, for example).
2. To make (soil, for example) fertile: Compost fertilizes the soil.
3. To spread fertilizer on: used a mechanical spreader to fertilize the lawn.
v.intr.
To spread fertilizer.

fertil·iza·ble adj.

fertilize or -lise
Verb
[-lizing, -lized] or -lising, -lised
1. to provide (an animal or plant) with sperm or pollen to bring about fertilization
2. to supply (soil) with nutrients
fertilization
-lisation n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.fertilize - provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to; "We should fertilize soil if we want to grow healthy plants"
farming, husbandry, agriculture - the practice of cultivating the land or raising stock
enrich - make better or improve in quality; "The experience enriched her understanding"; "enriched foods"
nitrify - treat (soil) with nitrates
dung - fertilize or dress with dung; "you must dung the land"
topdress - scatter manure or fertilizer over (land)
2.fertilize - make fertile or productive; "The course fertilized her imagination"
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"
3.fertilizefertilize - introduce semen into (a female)      
stratify - render fertile and preserve by placing between layers of earth or sand; "stratify seeds"
knock up, prang up, bang up, impregnate - make pregnant; "He impregnated his wife again"
impregnate - fertilize and cause to grow; "the egg was impregnated"
cross-fertilise, cross-fertilize - cause to undergo cross-fertilization; "Mendel cross-fertilized different kinds of beans"
cross-pollinate, pollenate, pollinate - fertilize by transfering pollen
alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"

fertilize or fertilise
verb 1. inseminate, impregnate, pollinate, make pregnant, fructify, make fruitful, fecundate
verb 2. enrich, feed, compost, manure, mulch, top-dress, dress, fertigate Austral.
Translations
fertilize [ˈfəːtɪlaɪz] vtfertilizar;
(BIOL) → fecundar;
(AGR) → abonar
fertilize [ˈfəːtɪlaɪz] fertile vtfertiliser;
(Biol) → féconder
fertilize [ˈfəːtɪlaɪz] fertile vtdüngen;
(Biol) → befruchten
fertilize [ˈfəːtɪlaɪz] vtfertilizzare; fecondare


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
I will spare you the familiar examples of the sensitive mimosa, the several insectivorous flowers and those whose stamens bend down and shake their pollen upon the entering bee in order that he may fertilize their distant mates.
A botanist notices that the bee flying with the pollen of a male flower to a pistil fertilizes the latter, and sees in this the purpose of the bee's existence.
It was the summer sun flashing out after the heavy summer shower; and what fertilizes more rapidly than that beam, burning almost like fire in its ardour?
 
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