autofertilization
|au-to-fer-til-i-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔː.toʊ.fɝ.tə.ləˈzeɪ.ʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔː.təʊ.ˌfɜː.tɪ.laɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
self-fertilization
Etymology
'autofertilization' originates from Modern English, combining the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos', where 'auto-' meant 'self', and 'fertilization' ultimately from Latin 'fertilis', where 'fertilis' meant 'fruitful'.
'autofertilization' developed by combining the Greek-derived prefix 'auto-' with the noun 'fertilization' (itself formed from the verb 'fertilize' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ation'); 'fertilize' traces back through Middle French 'fertiliser' to Latin 'fertilis'.
Initially, the elements conveyed the idea of 'making fertile by oneself' and over time the compound has retained this core sense, now used specifically for biological self-fertilization processes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process in plants by which a flower or plant fertilizes itself, using pollen from the same individual (self-pollination/self-fertilization).
Many self-pollinating species rely on autofertilization to reproduce in isolated conditions.
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Noun 2
the occurrence of fertilization in hermaphroditic or self-compatible animals and other organisms where an individual's gametes fuse without a different mate.
Some hermaphroditic snails can reproduce by autofertilization when mates are scarce.
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Last updated: 2026/01/24 15:49