cross-fertilization: Meaning and Definition of

cross-fer•ti•li•za•tion

1. the fertilization of an organism by the fusion of an egg from one individual with a sperm or male gamete from a different individual.
2. fertilization of the flower of one plant by a gamete from the flower of a closely related plant (opposed to self-fertilization).
3. (not in technical use) cross-pollination.
4. interaction or interchange, as between two or more cultures, fields of activity or knowledge, or the like, that is mutually beneficial and productive: a cross-fertilization of scientific and technical disciplines.