self-fertilized
|self-fer-ti-lized|
🇺🇸
/ˌsɛlfˈfɝtəˌlaɪzd/
🇬🇧
/ˌsɛlfˈfɜːtəˌlaɪzd/
(self-fertilize)
make fertile by oneself
Etymology
'self-fertilized' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'self-' and the verb 'fertilize,' where 'self-' meant 'by oneself' and 'fertilize' derived from Latin roots meaning 'to make fruitful.'
'fertilize' entered English via Old French 'fertiliser' from Latin 'fertilis' meaning 'fruitful'; the compound 'self-fertilize' is a modern English formation combining 'self-' with 'fertilize', and 'self-fertilized' is the past-participial/adjective form.
Initially, the root sense concerned making productive or fruitful; over time it extended in biology to specify the process of fertilization (including self-fertilization) and now commonly denotes reproduction by an organism's own gametes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
past tense or past participle form of 'self-fertilize'.
The flowers self-fertilized before the researchers could hand-pollinate them.
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Adjective 1
having been fertilized by one's own pollen or gametes; produced seeds or offspring through self-fertilization (especially in plants).
The pea plants were self-fertilized, so their offspring showed little genetic variation.
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Last updated: 2026/01/24 17:33