fertilize
verb
fer·til·ize
ˈfər-tə-ˌlīz 
fertilized; fertilizing
: to make fertile: such as
a
: to apply a fertilizer to
fertilize land
b
: to cause the fertilization of
Examples of fertilize in a Sentence
A single sperm fertilizes an egg.
Bees fertilize plants as they collect nectar from flowers.
He fertilizes the lawn every year.
The soil is so rich there is no need to fertilize.
Recent Examples on the Web
Other Iberian harvester ant eggs fertilized with Messor structor sperm resulted in hybrid female workers.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
The general guidance is to stop fertilizing about eight weeks before the first frost in your area.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
All that airborne guano is nature’s marine fertilizer, and scientists have been vastly underestimating how much seabird poop is actually fertilizing our oceans and coastlines.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
When immature eggs—known as oocytes, which are eggs that have not yet fully developed to the stage where they can be fertilized—were exposed to THC at levels similar to those detected in patients, researchers observed more frequent chromosome errors.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fertilize
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Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
The general guidance is to stop fertilizing about eight weeks before the first frost in your area.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
All that airborne guano is nature’s marine fertilizer, and scientists have been vastly underestimating how much seabird poop is actually fertilizing our oceans and coastlines.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
When immature eggs—known as oocytes, which are eggs that have not yet fully developed to the stage where they can be fertilized—were exposed to THC at levels similar to those detected in patients, researchers observed more frequent chromosome errors.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fertilize
Cite this Entry
“Fertilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fertilize. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fertilize
verb
fer·til·ize
ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌīz
fertilized; fertilizing
: to make fertile: as
a
: to cause the fertilization of
also
: to unite with in the process of fertilization
a sperm fertilizes an egg
b
: to apply a fertilizer to
fertilize land
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