Main Entry: fer·tile

Pronunciation: \ˈfər-t^əl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin fertilis, from ferre to carry, bear — more at bear

Date: 15th century

1 a : producing or bearing fruit in great quantities : productive b : characterized by great resourcefulness of thought or imagination : inventive <a fertile mind> c obsolete : plentiful
2 a (1) : capable of sustaining abundant plant growth <fertile soil> (2) : affording abundant possibilities for growth or development <damp bathrooms are fertile ground for fungi — Consumer Reports> <a fertile area for research> b : capable of growing or developing <a fertile egg> c (1) : capable of producing fruit (2) of an anther : containing pollen (3) : developing spores or spore-bearing organs d : capable of breeding or reproducing
3 : capable of being converted into fissionable material <fertile uranium 238>

— fer·tile·ly \-t^əl-(l)ē\ adverb

— fer·tile·ness \-t^əl-nəs\ noun

synonyms fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit. fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth <fertile soil>; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development <a fertile imagination>. fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring <a fecund herd>. fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results <fruitful research>. prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction <a prolific writer>.