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to fertilize

to fertilize

34 4.0
To make an egg or plant cell start growing by joining it with a male cell
  • verb
  • /ˈfɜːrtəlaɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fecundar
  • Nah, I really should go fertilize that egg.
  • fertilized egg
  • fertilized by sperm
  • fertilized ovum

And they need so many of them to just fertilize this one queen.

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Examples

  • One male passes over and fertilizes thousands.

  • Tonight, the pair remaining would have their chance to fertilize D'jirar's eggs.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • And they need so many of them to just fertilize this one queen.

  • I was supposed to fertilize that egg.

  • Never enough to fertilize an egg on their own, but they are swimming.

  • It's based where the last sperm to enter is the got the best chance of fertilizing the eggs.

  • For only about 45% of eggs that are fertilized actually come to term.

    Academic text (1990)
  • You shoot millions of sperm and only one egg gets fertilized, right?

  • The male followed her through the nest, fertilizing the eggs, and then chased her from his territory.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Farmers often use compost to fertilize their crops and ensure a good harvest.

Synonyms

to inseminate
vsto fertilize
  • NSFW
15 8.3

Put sperm into a woman or female animal so she can become pregnant

is broader, meaning to cause eggs or plants to begin development via male cells
to pollinate
vsto fertilize
12 4.2

To move pollen from one flower to another so it can make seeds

applies more widely to eggs and plants, not only pollen transfer
to cross-pollinate
vsto fertilize
  • Specialized
1 4.9

Move pollen from one flower to another so the plants can make seeds

is the general transfer of male cells to start development, not just between plants
to fecundate
vsto fertilize
  • Specialized
9.9

To make a living thing able to have babies or produce fruit

causes eggs or plants to start developing by joining with male cells
to pollenate
vsto fertilize
4.2

To move pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part so the plant makes seeds

is broader, covering eggs and plant development beyond pollen transfer
to cross-fertilize
vsto fertilize
  • Specialized
7.2

To mix pollen from two different plants to make new kinds

is the general act of starting development with a male cell, not always mixed sources

Antonyms

to sterilize
  • Specialized
15 5.8

To make a person or animal unable to have children by a medical operation

Phrasal Verbs

To add plant food to help a plant grow

Add plant food to the soil so crops grow better

How Effective

to fertilize
  • Specialized
34 4.0
to brush
133 1.6

Surface Forms

fertilize infinitive
fertilized past
fertilized past participle
fertilizing present participle
fertilizes third person singular

Morphology

fertilize = fertile (transparent) = fertile + ize

Formed by the adjective 'fertile' + the productive verb-forming suffix '-ize', meaning 'to make or become fertile', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Fertilize comes from the Latin fertilis, which means 'fruitful' and from a word meaning 'to bear'. So to fertilize an egg is to help it 'bear' new life.