Fertilization

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Fertilization \Fer`ti*li*za"tion\, n.
     1. The act or process of rendering fertile.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Biol.) The act of fecundating or impregnating animal or
        vegetable germs; esp., the process by which in flowers the


        pollen renders the ovule fertile, or an analogous process
        in flowerless plants; fecundation; impregnation.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Close fertilization} (Bot.), the fertilization of pistils by
        pollen derived from the stamens of the same blossom.
  
     {Cross fertilization}, fertilization by pollen from some
        other blossom. See under {Cross}, a.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fertilization
       n 1: creation by the physical union of male and female gametes;
            of sperm and ova in an animal or pollen and ovule in a
            plant [syn: {fertilisation}, {fecundation}, {impregnation}]
       2: making fertile as by applying fertilizer or manure [syn: {fertilisation},
           {fecundation}, {dressing}]