Fertilize

3 definitions found

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

  Fertilize \Fer"ti*lize\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fertilized}; p.
     pr. & vb. n. {Fertilizing}.] [Cf. F. fertiliser.]
     1. To make fertile or enrich; to supply with nourishment for
        plants; to make fruitful or productive; as, to fertilize
        land, soil, ground, and meadows.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              And fertilize the field that each pretends to gain.
                                                    --Byron.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. To fecundate; as, to fertilize flower. --A. R. Wallace.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  fertilize
       v 1: provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to; "We should
            fertilize soil if we want to grow healthy plants" [syn:
            {fertilise}, {feed}]
       2: make fertile or productive; "The course fertilized her
          imagination" [syn: {fecundate}, {fertilise}]
       3: introduce semen into (a female) [syn: {inseminate}, {fecundate},
           {fertilise}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  46 Moby Thesaurus words for "fertilize":
     backset, compost, cross-fertilize, cross-pollen, cross-pollinate,
     cross-pollinize, cultivate, culture, cut, delve, dig, dress,
     enrich, fallow, fatten, fecundate, fecundify, feed, force,
     fructify, get with child, get with young, harrow, hoe, impregnate,
     inseminate, list, manure, mulch, nourish, plow, pollen, pollinate,
     pollinize, prolificate, prune, rake, spade, spermatize, thin,
     thin out, till, till the soil, weed, weed out, work