fertilize
/'fə:tilaiz/ Cách viết khác : (fertilise) /'fə:tilaiz/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To make (soil or land) more fertile or productive by adding nutrients or other substances: This is the most common meaning, referring to the agricultural practice of enriching soil to support plant growth.
- To cause (an egg, seed, or plant) to develop a new individual by introducing male reproductive material: This biological meaning refers to the process of uniting male and female gametes to initiate reproduction.
- To make (something) more fruitful, productive, or creative: This figurative meaning describes stimulating development or growth in a non-physical sense.
Examples of Usage
- Verb:
- Farmers fertilize their fields in the spring to ensure a good harvest.
- The bee helps to fertilize the flower as it collects pollen.
- Reading widely can fertilize a writer's mind with new ideas.
Advanced Usage
- "to fertilize something with something": to add a specific substance to soil.
- They fertilize the garden with organic compost every autumn.
- In a biological context: Often used in the passive voice.
- The egg must be fertilized by a sperm cell to begin development.
Variants and Related Words
- Fertilizer (n): A substance (natural or chemical) added to soil to increase its fertility.
- He bought a bag of nitrogen-rich fertilizer for the lawn.
- Fertilization (n): The action or process of fertilizing.
- The fertilization of the ovum occurs in the fallopian tube.
- Fertile (adj): (Of soil or land) producing abundant vegetation; (of a person, animal, or plant) able to conceive young or produce seed.
- The fertile valley supports many farms.
Synonyms
- Enrich: To improve the quality or fertility of something.
- Inseminate: To introduce semen into (a female), a more specific synonym for the biological sense.
- Pollinate: To convey pollen to (a stigma, ovule, flower, or plant) for fertilization (a related but distinct biological process).
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Fertilize" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The verb is typically used transitively.)
Related Idioms
(Note: There are no common idioms directly centered on the verb "fertilize." The related noun "fertilizer" is sometimes used informally.) - "...is like fertilizer for...": Used figuratively to say something greatly promotes growth or development. - Constructive criticism is like fertilizer for personal growth.
Verb
- introduce semen into (a female)
- make fertile or productive
- The course fertilized her imagination
- provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to
- We should fertilize soil if we want to grow healthy plants