Fructiferous

/frʌkˈtɪfərəs/ adjective

Definition

Bearing or producing fruit; capable of bearing fruit; fruitful or productive.

Etymology

From Latin fructus (fruit) plus ferous (bearing or carrying). This formal scientific adjective directly parallels the structure of words like 'odoriferous' and 'pestiferous,' all using the Latin suffix to indicate what something carries or produces.

Kelly Says

Fructiferous sounds like it should mean something magical—and in botanical texts from the 1600s-1800s, it was used almost reverently to describe plants that seemed to produce endless harvests.

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