fertilizer

fertilizer — noun

1. a substance — either natural (like animal waste) or artificial (made in factorie

1.nounB1
Definition

a substance — either natural (like animal waste) or artificial (made in factories) — that people put into the ground to help crops become strong and productive.

Example

Before planting the corn, the farmer spread organic fertilizer across the field.

collocation: spread + fertilizer / organic fertilizer

Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta rely on nitrogen-rich fertilizer for high yields.

collocation: rely on + fertilizer

Common collocations
  • spread fertilizer
  • apply fertilizer
  • use fertilizer
  • organic fertilizer
  • chemical fertilizer
  • nitrogen-rich fertilizer
  • slow-release fertilizer
  • liquid fertilizer
Synonyms
  • manure

    specifically animal waste, a type of natural fertilizer

  • compost

    decayed organic matter that improves soil structure as well as providing nutrients

  • plant food

    informal term for packaged fertilizers sold for houseplants or garden flowers

Usage Note

As a general substance, 'fertilizer' is uncountable (e.g. 'Fertilizer is expensive this year'). When referring to specific types or products, it can be countable (e.g. 'a nitrogen-rich fertilizer', 'several liquid fertilizers').

Common Mistakes

I need to buy fertilizer to kill the weeds in my lawn.
I need to buy weedkiller to kill the weeds in my lawn.
Fertilizer helps plants grow; it does not kill unwanted plants.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fertilizer is the broadest term, covering any substance added to soil to improve plant growth — from synthetic chemical blends to organic materials. Manure refers specifically to animal waste (cow, horse, chicken) used as fertilizer, and is always organic but varies in nutrient strength. Compost is decayed plant matter (kitchen scraps, leaves) that improves soil structure as well as providing nutrients — gardeners often make their own. Plant food is an informal, consumer-market term for packaged fertilizers sold for houseplants or garden flowers, often in liquid or pellet form. For example, a farmer might spread manure on a cornfield, add compost to a vegetable bed, and pour plant food into a potted orchid — all are types of fertilizer, but each suits a different situation.

manure ↗compost ↗plant food

Common collocations

Nouns

  • spread fertilizer
  • apply fertilizer
  • use fertilizer
  • need fertilizer
  • buy fertilizer

Phrases

  • bag of fertilizer
  • type of fertilizer
  • brand of fertilizer
  • amount of fertilizer

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Fertilizer comes from the Latin word fertilis, meaning 'fruitful' or 'productive'. This passed through French as fertiliser before entering English. The '-er' suffix turns the verb 'fertilize' into a noun meaning 'a thing that fertilizes'. The word first appeared in English agricultural writing in the 1600s.