fertilised
|fer-ti-lised|
🇺🇸
/ˈfɝtəˌlaɪzd/
🇬🇧
/ˈfɜːtəˌlaɪzd/
(fertilise)
make fertile
Etymology
'fertilise' originates from Modern French, specifically the word 'fertiliser', where the Latin root 'fertilis' meant 'fruitful' or 'fertile'.
'fertilise' changed from the Modern French word 'fertiliser' (borrowed into English in the 19th century) and ultimately from Latin 'fertilis'; the English forms 'fertilize' (US) and 'fertilise' (UK) developed from these borrowings.
Initially, the root meant 'fruitful' or 'productive' (Latin 'fertilis'), but over time it evolved into the verb meaning 'to make fertile' or 'to supply with nutrients' and the biological sense 'to cause fertilisation'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'fertilise': to cause an egg, female gamete, or ovum to become joined with male reproductive material (sperm), so that development begins; to inseminate or impregnate.
The eggs were fertilised in the laboratory.
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Verb 2
past tense or past participle form of 'fertilise': to add fertiliser or nutrients to soil or land to make it more fertile and productive.
The fields were fertilised before planting to improve yields.
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Adjective 1
having been fertilised; made fertile or capable of developing (e.g., a fertilised egg or fertilised soil).
A fertilised egg begins cell division shortly after fertilisation.
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Last updated: 2025/12/02 06:43