fer ‧ ti ‧ lize BrE AmE ( also fertilise British English ) /ˈfɜːtəlaɪz, ˈfɜːtɪlaɪz $ ˈfɜːrtl-aɪz/ verb [transitive]
1 . to make new animal or plant life develop:
After the egg has been fertilized, it will hatch in about six weeks.
2 . to put fertilizer on the soil to make plants grow
—fertilization /ˌfɜːtəlaɪˈzeɪʃ ə n, ˌfɜːtɪlaɪˈzeɪʃ ə n $ ˌfɜːrtl-əˈzeɪ-/ noun [uncountable]