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

Related Words

• manure