verb · neutral
fertilize
UK/ˈfɜːtɪlaɪz/US/ˈfɜːrtəlaɪz/FER·ti·lize
to make soil or land more fertile by adding substances (fertilizer), or to enable an egg to develop by introducing male reproductive material
Examples
“Farmers fertilize their fields at the start of the rainy season.”
“In biology class we learned how pollen fertilizes an ovule.”
“Excessive use of chemical fertilizers can pollute rivers.”
Band 8 sentence
“To boost sustainable yields, the project advised farmers to combine organic fertilization with crop rotation.”
Collocations
- fertilize crops
- chemical fertilizer
- fertilize the soil
Word family
Common mistakes
They fertilize the land every year since 2010.→They have fertilized the land every year since 2010.
We need to fertilize to the soil.→We need to fertilize the soil.
Say it for a higher band
5manure→6enrich→7+fertilize
Synonyms
manure
enrich
Easily confused
irrigate
“Farmers irrigate the fields during droughts and fertilize them to improve yields.”
Related words
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In -ize
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