fertilizer

[ fur-tl-ahy-zer ]

noun

1. any substance used to fertilize the soil, especially a commercial or chemical manure.
2. a person, insect, etc., that fertilizes an animal or plant:

   Bees are fertilizers of flowers.

fertilizer

/ ˈfɜːtɪˌlaɪzə /

noun

1. any substance, such as manure or a mixture of nitrates, added to soil or water to increase its productivity
2. an object or organism such as an insect that fertilizes an animal or plant

fertilizer

/ fûr′tl-ī′zər /

1. Any of a large number of natural and synthetic materials, including manure and compounds containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, spread on or worked into soil to increase its capacity to support plant growth. Synthetic fertilizers can greatly increase the productivity of soil but have high energy costs, since fossil fuels are required as a source of hydrogen, which is necessary to fix nitrogen in ammonia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertilizer¹

First recorded in 1655–65; fertilize + -er ¹

Example Sentences

This disruption can also mean that access to seeds, fertilizer, animal feed, veterinary medicines and labour are all limited.

From Salon

Hydrogen, for example, can be used as a clean fuel or as a feedstock for ammonia to create fertilizer.

From Science Daily

Livestock, fertilizers, transport, and the conversion of forest to fields together account for one-third of global carbon emissions.

From Science Magazine

This symbiosis increases a plant's survival in nitrogen-deficient soils without the use of nitrogen fertilizers.

From Science Daily

There are also many environmental problems from growing the sugar, like habitat and biodiversity loss and water pollution from fertilizers and mills.

From Salon

Related Words

• manure