(BrE also fertilise) verb [VN]
1 to put POLLEN into a plant so that a seed develops; to join SPERM with an egg so that a baby or young animal develops:
Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. * a fertilized egg
2 to add a substance to soil to make plants grow more successfully
fertilization, fertilisation noun [U]:
Immediately after fertilization, the cells of the egg divide. * the fertilization of soil with artificial chemicals
