antifertilizer
|an-ti-fer-ti-li-zer|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈfɝtəˌlaɪzɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈfɜː.tɪ.laɪ.zə/
against fertility / prevents fertilization
Etymology
'antifertilizer' originates from Greek (prefix) 'anti-' meaning 'against' and from English 'fertilizer', ultimately from Latin 'fertilis' meaning 'fruitful'.
'fertilizer' developed from Latin 'fertilis' → Late Latin/Old French forms and Middle English 'fertilize' → modern English 'fertilizer'; 'anti-' is a productive Greek-derived prefix added in modern English to form opposites, producing 'antifertilizer' as a coined compound in English.
Initially the elements meant 'against' (anti-) and 'fruitful' (fertilis); combined in modern usage they convey 'against fertility' or 'something that prevents fertilization or fertility', a more specialized, often technical or coined meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance or agent that inhibits fertilization or reduces soil or reproductive fertility; essentially the opposite of a fertilizer (used to describe chemicals or measures that prevent growth, reproduction, or soil enrichment).
Researchers tested an antifertilizer to control the spread of the invasive aquatic plant species.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/01 03:47