Fructify derives from Middle English fructifien and ultimately from the Latin noun fructus,
meaning "fruit." When the word was first used in English in the 14th
century, it literally referred to the actions of plants that bore fruit;
later it was used transitively to refer to the action of making
something fruitful, such as soil. The word also expanded to encompass a
figurative sense of "fruit," and it is now more frequently used to refer
to the giving forth of something in profit from something else (such as
dividends from an investment). Fructus also gave us the name of the sugar fructose, as well as usufruct, which refers to the legal right to enjoy the fruits or profits of something that belongs to someone else.
Examples of FRUCTIFY
My parents are in a comfortable financial position, thanks to some investments that have recently begun to fructify.
"I don't care for the jokey body language and elaborate costuming of
the four male bees in the Waltz of the Flowers, and yet I find myself
paying close attention each time to how tightly they're woven into the
musical tapestry. They're not just there to fructify the 16 female flowers, they also become part of one dance pattern after another…."
— Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, 16 Dec. 2013
Test Your Vocabulary
What verb can mean "to break at once into pieces" or "to drop off leaves, petals, or fruit"?
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Authors of comments and posts are solely responsible for their statements. Please email MiddletownInsider@gmail.com for questions or concerns. This blog, (and any site using the blogger platform), does not and cannot track the source of comments. While opinions and criticism are fine, they are subject to moderator discretion; slander and vile attacks of individuals will not to be tolerated. Middletown Insider retains the right to deny any post or comment without explanation.