verb
fertilize
FUR-tih-lyz
verb
1
To add nutrients to soil to help plants grow better.
"She fertilizes the vegetable patch every spring."
2
To join with an egg cell to enable reproduction; to inseminate.
"A single sperm is enough to fertilize the egg."
How to Use Fertilize
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo feed soil with nutrients, or to join with an egg to start reproduction.
UK vs US
British English often spells this "fertilise."
Common pairings
fertilize the soil
fertilize the egg
Word Forms
fertilized past tense, fertilizes singular
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She _____ the vegetable patch every spring.
Etymology
From French fertiliser, from fertile.