fertilization
noun
fer·til·i·za·tion
| \ ˌfər-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən
\
\
Definition of fertilization
: an act or process of making fertile: such as
a
: the application of fertilizer
b(1)
: an act or process of fecundation, insemination, or pollination
—not used technically
(2)
: the process of union of two gametes whereby the somatic chromosome number is restored and the development of a new individual is initiated
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Examples of fertilization in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Avantea said that only seven of 10 eggs extracted last week from the females in Kenya could be used in the fertilization attempts Sunday using frozen sperm that had been taken from the male, which died in March 2018. — Time, "Scientists Fertilized 7 Northern White Rhino Eggs With Sperm From the Now-Dead Last Male," 26 Aug. 2019 And in a paper published in Developmental Cell in June, a team of researchers proposed a model for how the embryo’s genome gets activated after fertilization. — Quanta Magazine, "For Embryo’s Cells, Size Can Determine Fate," 12 Aug. 2019 In 2013, Wright gave birth to identical twin boys, George and Everett, via in-vitro fertilization. — Andrea Billups, PEOPLE.com, "Chely Wright Makes Emotional Grand Ole Opry Return — Her First Since Coming Out in 2010," 14 Aug. 2019 In mammals, fertilization occurs when a sperm cell swims out to fuse with an egg. — Laura Yan, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Is Sending Human Sperm Into Space," 14 Apr. 2018 The French government on Wednesday sent to parliament draft legislation that would allow in-vitro fertilization (IVF) for lesbian couples and single women, honoring a long-standing campaign pledge but risking a backlash from conservative voters. — NBC News, "Macron gambles on cultural shift with bill allowing IVF for lesbians," 25 July 2019 Calcium may be lacking in the soil, but its absence is more likely related to improper soil acidity, over fertilization with nitrogen or inconsistent watering. — Tom Maccubbin, orlandosentinel.com, "Easter lily bulbs can be left in container or transplanted," 29 June 2019 Fertility coverage is the latest big thing, with use of in-vitro fertilization growing 71% nationally... — Laura Forman, WSJ, "Tech’s Costly Health Benefits Pay Dividends," 2 Mar. 2019 In the winner-takes-all game of fertilization, millions of sperm race toward the egg that’s waiting at the finish line. — Quanta Magazine, "Choosy Eggs May Pick Sperm for Their Genes, Defying Mendel’s Law," 15 Nov. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fertilization.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for fertilization
fertilization
noun
fer·til·iza·tion
| \ ˌfər-tə-lə-ˈzā-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of fertilization
1
: an act or process of making fertile
fertilization of a new lawn
2
: the joining of an egg cell and a sperm cell to form the first stage of an embryo
fertilization
noun
fer·til·iza·tion
variants:
or British fertilisation \ ˌfərt-ᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən
\
\
Medical Definition of fertilization
: an act or process of making fertile: as
a
: an act or process of fecundation, insemination, or impregnation
b
: the process of union of two gametes whereby the somatic chromosome number is restored and the development of a new individual is initiated
Other Words from fertilization
fertilize
or British fertilise \ ˈfərt-ᵊl-ˌīz
\
transitive verb
fertilized
or British fertilised;
fertilizing
or British fertilising
\
transitive verb
fertilized
or British fertilised;
fertilizing
or British fertilising
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