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Glite Dictionary
mineral fertilizer

mineral fertilizer

3.8
A product made from rocks that adds nutrients to soil for plants
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪnərəl ˈfɜːrtəlaɪzər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fertilizante mineral
  • Mineral fertilizers are the main source of nitrogen, followed by livestock manures.

Examples

  • Austrian researchers compare compost and mineral fertilizer use.

    Academic text (2000)

  • Applying mineral fertilizer in the spring helps ensure that plants have the essential nutrients they need.

  • Many farmers prefer mineral fertilizer for its quick nutrient release to crops.

  • After testing several options, the gardener decided to use mineral fertilizer to enhance plant growth.

Synonyms

fertilizer
vsmineral fertilizer
  • US
91 3.0

Something added to soil to help plants grow

specifies inorganic mineral sources and often includes trace elements

How Inorganic

mineral fertilizer
  • Specialized
3.8
fertilizer
  • US
91 3.0

Surface Forms

mineral fertilizer singular
mineral fertilizers plural

Morphology

mineral + fertilizer

The meaning is directly compositional: 'mineral' specifies the source/type of the 'fertilizer', so a learner who knows 'mineral' (inorganic substance) and 'fertilizer' (material to improve plant growth) can infer a fertilizer made from inorganic minerals. This modifier+noun compound follows a common, non-idiomatic pattern found across languages, so its sense is immediately predictable to B1 learners.

Etymology

Mineral fertilizer comes from the simple idea of making 'plant food' from crushed rocks. Farmers used ground minerals to make a quick fertilizer that gives plants the nutrients they need, so the name means plant food made from minerals rather than from 'organic' matter.