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Webster 1913 Edition

Cultivate

Cul′ti-vate

(k?l′t?-v?t)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Cultivated
(-v?ˊt?d)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Cultivating
(-v?ˊ-t?ng)
.]
[LL.
cultivatus
, p. p. of
cultivare
to cultivate, fr.
cultivus
cultivated, fr. L.
cultus
, p. p. of
colere
to till, cultivate. Cf.
Colony
.]
1.
To bestow attention, care, and labor upon, with a view to valuable returns; to till; to fertilize;
as, to
cultivate
soil
.
2.
To direct special attention to; to devote time and thought to; to foster; to cherish.
Leisure . . . to
cultivate
general literature.
Wordsworth.
3.
To seek the society of; to court intimacy with.
I ever looked on Lord Keppel as one of the greatest and best men of his age; and I loved and
cultivated
him accordingly.
Burke.
4.
To improve by labor, care, or study; to impart culture to; to civilize; to refine.
To
cultivate
the wild, licentious savage.
Addison.
The mind of man hath need to be prepared for piety and virtue; it must be
cultivated
to the end.
Tillotson.
5.
To raise or produce by tillage; to care for while growing;
as, to
cultivate
corn or grass
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cultivate

CULTIVATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L., to till, to dwell.]
1.
To till; to prepare for crops; to manure, plow, dress, sow and reap; to labor on manage and improve in husbandry; as, to cultivate land; to cultivate a farm.
2.
To improve by labor or study; to advance the growth of; to refine and improve by correction of faults, and enlargement of powers or good qualities; as, to cultivate talents; to cultivate a taste for poetry.
3.
To study; to labor to improve or advance; as, to cultivate philosophy; to cultivate the mind.
4.
To cherish; to foster; to labor to promote and increase; as, to cultivate the love of excellence; to cultivate gracious affections.
5.
To improve; to meliorate, or to labor to make better; to correct; to civilize; as, to cultivate the wild savage.
6.
To raise or produce by tillage; as, to cultivate corn or grass.

Definition 2024

cultivate

cultivate

English

Verb

cultivate ‎(third-person singular simple present cultivates, present participle cultivating, simple past and past participle cultivated)

  1. To grow plants, notably crops
    Farmers should cultivate their crops to get a good harvest.
  2. To nurture; to foster; to tend.
    They tried to cultivate an interest in learning among their students.
  3. To turn or stir soil in preparation for planting.

Derived terms

Translations

Interlingua

Participle

cultivate

  1. past participle of cultivar

Etymology

From Medieval Latin cultivātus, perfect passive participle of cultivō ‎(“till, cultivate”), from cultīvus ‎(“tilled”), from Latin cultus, perfect passive participle of colō ‎(“till, cultivate”), which comes from earlier *quelō, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- ‎(“to move; to turn (around)”). Cognates include Ancient Greek πέλω ‎(pélō) and Sanskrit चरति ‎(cárati). The same Proto-Indo-European root also gave Latin in-quil-īnus ‎(“inhabitant”) and anculus ‎(“servant”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkʌltɪveɪt/

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