Standard Lemma guide

fertilizer

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈfɜːtəlaɪzə/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈfɜːɹtəlaɪzəɹ/
  • CMU ARPABET: F ER1 T AH0 L AY2 Z ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The farmer spread fertiliser across the fields.
  • Organic fertilisers are usually better for the environment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A chemical compound created to have the same effect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Human remains, especially obscured or to be forgotten.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: worm food

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

any substance such as manure or a mixture of nitrates used to make soil more fertile

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fertiliser, plant food

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: chemical, chemical substance

Narrower terms: organic, organic fertilizer, organic fertiliser

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English fertilize Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English fertilizer From fertilize + -er.

Across languages

Translations

156 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: pleh — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Arabic: سَمَاد (samād) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Armenian: պարարտանյութ (parartanyutʻ) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Assamese: সাৰ (xar) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Azerbaijani: gübrə — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Bashkir: ашлама (aşlama) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Belarusian: удабрэ́нне (udabrénnje) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Belarusian: удабрэ́ньне (udabrénʹnje) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Belarusian: угнае́нне (uhnajénnje) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Belarusian: угнае́ньне (uhnajénʹnje) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Bengali: সার (śar) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Bulgarian: тор (tor) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Burmese: မြေဩဇာ (mreau:ja) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Catalan: adob — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Chinese Mandarin: 肥料 (féiliào) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Chuukese: koiasi — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Czech: hnojivo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Danish: gødning — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Dutch: mest — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Esperanto: sterko — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Estonian: väetis — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Faroese: tøð — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Finnish: lannoite — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • French: fertilisant — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • French: engrais — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Friulian: fertilizant — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Galician: fertilizante — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Georgian: სასუქი (sasuki) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • German: Dünger — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • German: Düngemittel — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • German: Buu — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Greek: λίπασμα (lípasma) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Hawaiian: mea hoʻomomona lepo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Hebrew: דֶשֶׁן (déshen) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Hiligaynon: abóno — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Hindi: उर्वरक (urvarak) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Hungarian: trágya — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Icelandic: áburður — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Indonesian: pupuk — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Irish: leasú — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Italian: fertilizzante — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Italian: concime — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Italian: letame — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Italian: stabbio — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Japanese: 肥料 (hiryō) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Japanese: 肥 (koe) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Japanese: 肥やし (koyashi) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Jeju: 비료 (biryo) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Kazakh: тыңайтқыш (tyñaitqyş) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Khmer: ជី (cii) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Korean: 비료 (biryo) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Northern Kurdish: avisker — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Northern Kurdish: gubre — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Kyrgyz: семирткич (semirtkic) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Lao: ປຸ໋ຍ — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Lao: ປຸຽ (puy) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Latvian: mēsli — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Latvian: kūtsmēsli — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Lithuanian: trąša — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Luhya: embolea — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Macedonian: ѓубриво (ǵubrivo) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Malay: baja — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Māori: wairākau — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Mongolian: бордоо (bordoo) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Mongolian: бордуур (borduur) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠣᠷᠳᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (borduɣ-a) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠣᠷᠳᠤᠭᠤᠷ (borduɣur) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjødsel — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: gjødsel — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Oromo: xaa'oo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Pashto: سره (sǝ́ra) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Iranian Persian: کود (kud) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Piedmontese: fertilisant — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Pohnpeian: koiasi — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Polish: nawóz — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Portuguese: fertilizante — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Quechua: wanu — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Romanian: îngrășământ — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Romanian: fertilizant — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Russian: удобре́ние (udobrénije) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Russian: наво́з (navóz) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Scottish Gaelic: leasachadh — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Scottish Gaelic: todhar — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Serbo-Croatian: ђу̏брӣво — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Serbo-Croatian: гно̏јӣво — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Serbo-Croatian: đȕbrīvo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Serbo-Croatian: gnȍjīvo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Slovak: hnojivo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Slovene: gnojilo — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Spanish: abono orgánico — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Spanish: fertilizante — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Spanish: abono — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Swedish: gödsel — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Tagalog: pataba — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Tajik: поруандозӣ (poruandozi) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Tajik: нурӣ (nuri) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Tajik: нуриандозӣ (nuriandozi) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Tatar: ашлама (aşlama) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Thai: ปุ๋ย (bpǔi) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Turkish: gübre — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Turkish: kön — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Turkmen: dökün — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Udmurt: мусылал (musylal) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Ukrainian: до́бриво (dóbryvo) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Urdu: کھاد (khād) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Uyghur: ئوغۇت (oghut) — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Uzbek: oʻgʻit — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Vietnamese: phân bón — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Vietnamese: phân — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Yoruba: ajílẹ̀ — a natural substance that is used to make the ground more suitable for growing plants
  • Armenian: պարարտանյութ (parartanyutʻ) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Bulgarian: изку́ствен тор (izkústven tor) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Catalan: adob — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Chinese Mandarin: 化肥 (huàféi) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Danish: kunstgødning — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Dutch: kunstmest — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Esperanto: ĥemia fekundilo — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Esperanto: kemia fekundilo — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Finnish: lannoite — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Finnish: apulanta — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Finnish: keinolannoite — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Finnish: mineraalilannoite — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • French: fertilisant — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Galician: fertilizante — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Georgian: სასუქი (sasuki) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • German: Handelsdünger — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Greek: λίπασμα (lípasma) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Hawaiian: mea hoʻomomona lepo — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Hebrew: דשן (deshen) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Hungarian: műtrágya — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Japanese: 化学肥料 (kagaku-hiryō) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Latvian: mēslojums — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Macedonian: вештачко ѓубриво (veštačko ǵubrivo) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Māori: wairākau — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Mongolian: бордоо (bordoo) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠣᠷᠳᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ (borduɣ-a) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kunstgjødsel — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mineralgjødsel — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kunstgjødsel — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mineralgjødsel — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Polish: nawóz — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Portuguese: fertilizante — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Romanian: fertilizator — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Romanian: îngrășământ — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Russian: удобре́ние (udobrénije) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Scottish Gaelic: leasachadh — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Spanish: fertilizante — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Swedish: konstgödsel — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Thai: ปุ๋ย (bpǔi) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Turkish: yapay gübre — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Turkish: suni gübre — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Udmurt: мусылал (musylal) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Ukrainian: мінера́льне до́бриво (minerálʹne dóbryvo) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Ukrainian: міндо́бриво (mindóbryvo) — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Vietnamese: phân bón — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
  • Yoruba: ajílẹ̀ — a chemical compound created to have the same effect
Real reading context

fertilizer in complete knowledge articles