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   fer·tile

   /ˈfərd(ə)l/

   adjective

   • 1. (of soil or land) producing or capable of producing abundant vegetation or crops: "fields along the fertile flood plains of the river" Similar fecundfruitfulproductivehigh-yieldingprolificproliferatingpropagativegenerativerichlushrare:fructuousOpposite infertile
   • ▪ (of a seed or egg) capable of becoming a new individual.
   • ▪ (of a person, animal, or plant) able to conceive young or produce seed: "Barbara carefully calculated the period when she was most fertile" Similar able to conceiveable to have childrenfecundpotentgenerativereproductiveOpposite barren
   • ▪ (of a person's mind or imagination) producing many new and inventive ideas with ease. Similar imaginativeinventiveinnovativeinnovationalcreativevisionaryoriginalingeniousresourcefulconstructiveproductiveprolificOpposite unimaginative
   • ▪ (of a situation or subject) fruitful and productive in generating new ideas: "a series of fertile debates within the social sciences"
   • ▪ (of nuclear material) able to become fissile by the capture of neutrons.

   Word Origin late Middle English: via French from Latin fertilis, from ferre ‘to bear’.

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • F

     4

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • T

     1

   • I

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

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