different between fertilizer vs fertile

English

Alternative forms

• (British) fertiliser

Etymology

fertilize +? -er

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f??t?la?z?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?f???t?la?z??/

Noun

fertilizer (countable and uncountable, plural fertilizers)

1. A natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants.
2. A chemical compound created to have the same effect.

Derived terms

• over-fertilization

Related terms

• fertilize

Translations

See also

• dung
• lawn food
• manure

English

Etymology

Middle English, from French and Old French fertile, from Latin fertilis (“fruitful, fertile”), from fer? (“I bear, carry”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??ta?l/, /?f??t?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?f??t?l/, /?f??ta?l/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /?f??ta?l/

Adjective

fertile (comparative more fertile, superlative most fertile)

1. (of land etc) capable of growing abundant crops; productive
2. (biology) capable of reproducing; fecund, fruitful

3. (biology) capable of developing past the egg stage
4. (physics) Not itself fissile, but able to be converted into a fissile material by irradiation in a reactor.

   There are two basic fertile materials: uranium-238 and thorium-232.

5. (of an imagination etc) productive or prolific

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:productive
• fecund

Antonyms

• barren
• infertile

Related terms

• fertilisation, fertilization
• fertilise, fertilize
• fertiliser, fertilizer
• fertility, fertileness
• subfertile

Translations

Further reading

• fertile in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• fertile in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• fertile at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• firelet

French

Etymology

From Latin fertilem

Adjective

fertile (plural fertiles)

1. fertile

Further reading

• “fertile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• flétrie
• flirtée

Italian

Etymology

From Latin fertilis, fertilem

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?r.ti.le/

Adjective

fertile (plural fertili)

1. fertile

   Antonym: infertile

Derived terms

• fertilizzare
• fertilmente

Related terms

• fertilità

See also

• fecondo

Further reading

• fertile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Adjective

fertile

1. nominative neuter singular of fertilis
2. accusative neuter singular of fertilis
3. vocative neuter singular of fertilis