fertilizer

fer·til·iz·er | \ ˈfər-tə-ˌlī-zər

How to pronounce fertilizer (audio)

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Definition of fertilizer

: 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 Furthermore, grass fertilizer can run off into nearby streams, ponds or other water bodies, sometimes fueling algae blooms. — Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, "Cookie-Cutter Suburbs Could Help Spread Sustainable Yards," 3 Dec. 2019 Yet, fertilizers can push this waifish modern tree to grow about 50 full-size apples, compared to as many as 300 or so on the old-style trees. — Jim Robbins, New York Times, "Fire Blight Spreads Northward, Threatening Apple Orchards," 2 Dec. 2019 Stockton’s top imports include fertilizers that nourish Central Valley farms and components for Teslas, which are assembled in Fremont. — Kurtis Alexander, SFChronicle.com, "San Francisco Bay dredging fuels an unexpected concern: climate change," 30 Nov. 2019 Alice Slusher, OSU Extension Master Gardener What fertilizer is best for a mature white oak tree? — oregonlive, "Ask an expert: Daffodils, crocus jumping the gun. Will they make it through winter?," 30 Nov. 2019 The most promising scenarios called for a mix of in-field management like cover crops and subsurface fertilizer placement, and the use of buffer strips to help filter field runoff, according to a news release. — Laura Johnston, cleveland, "OSU study finds farmers are reducing phosphorus into Lake Erie, but not fast enough," 21 Nov. 2019 The fertilizer will contribute to winter cold tolerance and fast green-up in the spring. — Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, "What’s blooming now in our chilly San Antonio gardens," 14 Nov. 2019 Phosphorus is a mineral that is crucial for fertilizers worldwide, increasing food supply. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Are We Reaching Peak Phosphorus? Maybe," 4 Nov. 2019 On the first plot, which was used as a control, Schlagel left the field fallow during the off-season and did not use any kind of compost or fertilizer. — John Spina, The Denver Post, "Boulder County’s carbon sequestration project reports limited impact in first year," 27 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fertilizer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near fertilizer

fertilization tube

fertilizer analysis

Statistics for fertilizer

Last Updated

11 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Fertilizer.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fertilizer. Accessed 13 December 2019.

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