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 ]
adj. 1. united with a male gamete to begin the development of an individual embryo; -- of female gametes. Syn. -- impregnated, inseminated. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]
2. made more suitable for growth of crops by addition of fertilizer{ 2 }; -- of soil. Syn. -- enriched. [ PJC ]
n. 1. One who fertilizes; the agent that carries the fertilizing principle, as a moth to an orchid. A. R. Wallace. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. That which renders fertile; a general name for commercial substances which make plants grow better, as manure, guano, phosphate of lime, ammonium nitrate, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]
[ほどこす, hodokosu] (v5s, vt) (1) to give (time, money, goods); to donate; (2) to do; to perform; to conduct; (3) to apply (processing, makeup, etc.); to add (e.g. ornamentation, annotation); (4) to sow; to seed; to scatter (e.g. fertilizer); to sprinkle; (5) (arch) to spread far and wide; (P)#18983