fertile

fertile
adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin fertilis, from ferre to carry, bear — more at bear Date: 15th century 1. a. producing or bearing fruit in great quantities ; productive b. characterized by great resourcefulness of thought or imagination ; inventive <
a fertile mind
>
c. obsolete plentiful 2. a. (1) capable of sustaining abundant plant growth <
fertile soil
>
(2) affording abundant possibilities for growth or development <
damp bathrooms are fertile ground for fungi —Consumer Reports
>
<
a fertile area for research
>
b. capable of growing or developing <
a fertile egg
>
c. (1) capable of producing fruit (2) of an anther containing pollen (3) developing spores or spore-bearing organs d. capable of breeding or reproducing 3. capable of being converted into fissionable material <
fertile uranium 238
>
fertilely adverbfertileness noun Synonyms: fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit. fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth <
fertile soil
>
; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development <
a fertile imagination
>
. fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring <
a fecund herd
>
. fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results <
fruitful research
>
. prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction <
a prolific writer
>
.

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • fertile — [ fɛrtil ] adj. • XIVe; lat. fertilis 1 ♦ Qui produit beaucoup de végétation utile (sol, terre). ⇒ fécond, productif, riche. Terre fertile (cf. De la bonne terre). Champ fertile. Terre fertile en blés, en vignes. Rendre un sol fertile. ⇒… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • fertile — fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean having or manifesting the power to produce fruit or offspring. The same distinctions in implications and connotations are observable in their corresponding nouns fertility, fecundity, fruitfulness,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Fertile — Fer tile (? or ?; 277), a. [L. fertilis, fr. ferre to bear, produce: cf. F. fertile. See {Bear} to support.] 1. Producing fruit or vegetation in abundance; fruitful; able to produce abundantly; prolific; fecund; productive; rich; inventive; as,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fertile — FERTILE. adj. de t. g. Fecond, Qui produit, qui rapporte beaucoup. Champ fertile. terre fertile. pays fertile. fertile en bled, en vin, &c. On dit fig. Un esprit fertile, pour dire, Un esprit qui produit facilement quantité de belles choses. Et,… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • fertile — Fertile, Fertilis, Foecundus, Huber. Champ fertile et abondant, Rus saturum. Fort fertile, Praefoecundus, Ferax. Lieu fertile, Locus fructuosissimus. Jardins fertiles, Foelices horti. Terre fertile, Solum laetum, B. Rendre fertile, Huberare,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • Fertile — Fertile, IA U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 360 Housing Units (2000): 161 Land area (2000): 0.940131 sq. miles (2.434927 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.940131 sq. miles (2.434927 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Fertile — ist der Name mehrerer Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Fertile (Iowa) Fertile (Minnesota) Fertile (Missouri) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • fertile — [fʉrt′ l; fʉr′tīl΄] adj. [ME < OFr < L fertilis < stem of ferre, BEAR1] 1. producing abundantly; rich in resources or invention; fruitful; prolific 2. causing or helping fertility [the sun s fertile warmth] 3. able to produce young,… …   English World dictionary

  • Fertile, IA — U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 360 Housing Units (2000): 161 Land area (2000): 0.940131 sq. miles (2.434927 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.940131 sq. miles (2.434927 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Fertile, MN — U.S. city in Minnesota Population (2000): 893 Housing Units (2000): 433 Land area (2000): 1.892536 sq. miles (4.901645 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 1.892536 sq. miles (4.901645 sq. km) FIPS… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • fertile — I adjective arable, bearing offspring freely, creative, fecund, fecundus, feracious, ferax, fertilis, flowering, fructiferous, fructuous, fruitful, imaginative, ingenious, inventive, lush, luxuriant, original, originative, parturient,… …   Law dictionary

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