cross-fertilize

IPA/ˌkrɒs ˈfɜːtəlaɪz/
IPA/ˌkrɔːs ˈfɜːrtəlaɪz/

cross-fertilize — verb

  • cross-fertilizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • cross-fertilizeshe / she / it
  • cross-fertilizedpast simple
  • cross-fertilizing-ing form

1. to move male reproductive grains from one flower to another of the same kind, so

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to move male reproductive grains from one flower to another of the same kind, so the second flower can start producing seeds

Example

Marta cross-fertilized her squash plants by brushing pollen from one flower onto another.

transitive: cross-fertilize + [plant]

Many fruit trees cross-fertilize with a different variety nearby to produce a good crop.

intransitive: cross-fertilize with

Common collocations
  • cross-fertilize with
  • cross-fertilized by bees
  • cross-fertilize by hand
  • cross-fertilize freely
Synonyms
  • cross-pollinate

    the most common synonym; technically pollen transfer (broader than fertilization)

  • interbreed

    used more often for animals, but also for plant varieties

Antonyms
  • self-fertilize

    when a plant uses its own pollen instead of receiving pollen from another individual

Grammar Patterns

cross-fertilize + [plant]

cross-fertilize with + [plant]

Usage Note

Common in agricultural and botanical writing. This sense can be used transitively ("cross-fertilize a plant") or intransitively ("the plants cross-fertilize freely"). Frequently appears in the passive when the agent is wind, insects, or the gardener.

Common Mistakes

You must cross-fertilize the flower with itself.
You must cross-fertilize the flower with another plant of the same species.
Cross-fertilization by definition involves two different individuals, not the same flower.

2. to make a field of activity, an art form, or an area of knowledge richer by intr

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to make a field of activity, an art form, or an area of knowledge richer by introducing ideas or working methods from a different, often unrelated, subject

Example

The university programme cross-fertilizes engineering with design, so its graduates build both practical and beautiful products.

cross-fertilize + [field] with + [field]

David cross-fertilizes his cooking by studying techniques from Japanese and Mexican kitchens.

Common collocations
  • cross-fertilize with
  • cross-fertilize ideas
  • cross-fertilize across disciplines
Synonyms
  • enrich

    broader and less specific; does not imply exchange between two sources

  • fuse

    suggests blending into something new, whereas cross-fertilize keeps the sources recognisable

  • combine

    more general; lacks the sense of mutual benefit that cross-fertilize carries

Antonyms
  • isolate

    to keep fields or disciplines separate from each other

Grammar Patterns

cross-fertilize + [field] with + [another field]

Usage Note

This figurative sense is found mainly in academic, intellectual, or artistic writing. The direct object is usually a field, discipline, or creative practice, and the means is introduced by "with". Occasionally used intransitively, as in "the two departments cross-fertilize regularly".

Common Mistakes

The ideas cross-fertilized each other.
The two research teams cross-fertilized their ideas.
In the figurative sense, a person or institution usually does the cross-fertilizing; ideas do not typically perform the action on their own.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All three words describe reproduction involving two different individuals, but they belong to different stages and contexts. Cross-pollinate refers to the transfer of pollen (the first step), while cross-fertilize refers to the actual union of male and female cells (the result). Gardeners and farmers tend to use cross-pollinate more often when talking about what bees do, and cross-fertilize when discussing seed production or breeding programmes. Interbreed is the broadest of the three: it covers both plants and animals and can describe whole populations mixing over generations rather than a single act. For example: "Beekeepers know which apple varieties cross-pollinate well" but "The research station cross-fertilized two rare wheat strains to create a drought-resistant variety."

cross-pollinate ↗cross-fertilize ↗interbreed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • cross-fertilize by hand
  • cross-fertilize with another variety
  • cross-fertilize across disciplines

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed by combining 'cross-' (meaning 'across' or 'between') with 'fertilize' (from Latin fertilis, meaning 'fruitful'). The botanical sense appeared in the late 1800s as scientists developed a precise vocabulary for plant breeding. The figurative 'exchange of ideas' meaning followed in the early 1900s, reflecting the same pattern of two separate sources enriching each other.

First known use

1876

1876, in the meaning defined at transitive sense