Main Entry: fer·til·i·za·tion

Pronunciation: \ˌfər-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən\

Function: noun

Date: circa 1787

: an act or process of making fertile: as a : the application of fertilizer b (1) : an act or process of fecundation, insemination, or pollination —not used technically (2) : the process of union of two gametes whereby the somatic chromosome number is restored and the development of a new individual is initiated