- 1fertilize something to put pollen into a plant so that a seed develops; to join sperm with an egg so that a baby or young animal develops Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. a fertilized egg
- 2fertilize something to add a substance to soil to make plants grow more successfully
fertilize
verbNAmE//ˈfərt̮lˌaɪz//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they fertilize he / she / it fertilizes
past simple fertilized
-ing form fertilizing
NAmE//ˌfərt̮l̩əˈzeɪʃn//
noun [uncountable] Immediately after fertilization, the cells of the egg divide. the fertilization of soil with artificial chemicalsSee fertilize in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: fertilize