fecundar

Fecundar is a Spanish verb with several closely related meanings centered on making something fertile or fruitful. In biology, it refers to the act by which a sperm cell fertilizes an egg, initiating conception. In botany, it denotes the fertilization of a plant ovule by pollen, a step that leads to seed development. The term can also be used in a figurative sense to describe making ideas, projects, or works more fertile or productive, as in fecundar la imaginación.

The noun most commonly associated with the verb is fecundación, the process of fertilization or conception. Related nouns include fecundidad (fertility) and the adjective fecundo (fertile, fruitful). The verb is regular in conjugation, following the standard -ar pattern (yo fecundo, tú fecundas, él fecunda, nosotros fecundamos, vosotros fecundáis, ellos fecundan).

Usage notes: in everyday Spanish, fecundar is used primarily for biological fertilization and for metaphorical or literary contexts. When referring to agricultural soil or crops, other terms such as fertilizar or abonar are more common, whereas fecundar tends to emphasize the biological union or the creation of fertility in a more general sense.

See also: fecundación, fecundidad, fecundo, fertilización, concepción, polinización.