fertilizer

noun

fer·​til·​iz·​er ˈfər-tə-ˌlī-zər How to pronounce fertilizer (audio)
: one that fertilizes
specifically : a substance (such as manure or a chemical mixture) used to make soil more fertile

Examples of fertilizer in a Sentence

We only use organic fertilizer in our gardens. They use chemical fertilizers on their lawn.
Recent Examples on the Web The bulk carrier went down off Yemen after a Houthi missile attack, and poses grave environmental risks as thousands of tons of fertilizer threaten to spill into the Red Sea, officials and experts warn. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 8 Mar. 2024 Her group has worked to block a coal ash landfill, a liquid fertilizer plant, a hazardous waste incinerator, a private prison, and perhaps most prominently, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 Scientists began documenting an increase in sargassum, a macroalgae, in 2011, and have attributed that at least, in part, to an increase of nutrients, such as fertilizers and other pollution in the water, and climate change. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024 It even has been spread on agricultural fields as fertilizer. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 It’s generated by car tires and in California researchers are finding high concentrations of microplastic wafting into the air from sludge compost used to make fertilizer. Alan Ohnsman, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 In 2004, fishermen used the act to sue the fertilizer giant Mosaic after one of its sites spilled toxic water into a creek leading to Hillsborough Bay. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 18 Feb. 2024 Wisconsin farmers spent about $12.7 billion on farm expenses that year, including increasingly expensive feed and fertilizer. Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024 Granulated fertilizers are easiest to use, but liquids work just as well. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fertilizer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1661, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fertilizer was circa 1661

Dictionary Entries Near fertilizer

Cite this Entry

“Fertilizer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fertilizer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fertilizer

noun
fer·​til·​iz·​er ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌī-zər How to pronounce fertilizer (audio)
: a substance (as manure or a chemical) used to make soil produce larger or more plant life
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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