fertilizer
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a natural or chemical substance added to soil to help plants grow.
a natural or synthetic substance containing nutrients that is applied to soil or land to increase its fertility.
Simple“The gardener added organic fertilizer to the soil before planting the tomatoes.”
In context“Modern agriculture relies heavily on nitrogen-based fertilizers to maintain high crop yields across large-scale farming operations.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
a very dark or rude way to talk about dead bodies left in the ground.
a derogatory or cynical reference to human remains, implying they are of no more value than waste used for soil.
Simple“In the dark movie, the villain said the soldiers were just fertilizer now.”
In context“The cynical commander dismissed the loss of life, callously remarking that his fallen enemies were now nothing more than fertilizer for the fields.”
UsageUsed figuratively and usually in a highly offensive or dark context.
“An earlier version referred to glyphosate as a fertilizer; it is an herbicide.”
“Growing avocados on a commercial scale requires a lot of nitrogen fertilizers and other agrochemicals.”
From fertilize + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.