cultivate

[ kuhl-tuh-veyt ]
See synonyms for: cultivatecultivatedcultivatescultivating on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing.
  1. to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.

  2. to use a cultivator on.

  1. to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.

  2. to produce by culture: to cultivate a strain of bacteria.

  3. to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine: to cultivate a singing voice.

  4. to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.

  5. to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).

  6. to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).

  7. to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).

Origin of cultivate

1
First recorded in 1610–20; from Medieval Latin cultīvātus, past participle of cultīvāre “to till,” equivalent to cultīv(us) “tilled,” derivative of Latin colere “to inhabit, till” + -īvus -ive + -āre, infinitive suffix; cf. cult

Other words from cultivate

  • o·ver·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), o·ver·cul·ti·vat·ed, o·ver·cul·ti·vat·ing.
  • pre·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), pre·cul·ti·vat·ed, pre·cul·ti·vat·ing.
  • re·cul·ti·vate, verb (used with object), re·cul·ti·vat·ed, re·cul·ti·vat·ing.

Words Nearby cultivate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cultivate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cultivate

cultivate

/ (ˈkʌltɪˌveɪt) /


verb(tr)
  1. to till and prepare (land or soil) for the growth of crops

  2. to plant, tend, harvest, or improve (plants) by labour and skill

  1. to break up (land or soil) with a cultivator or hoe

  2. to improve or foster (the mind, body, etc) as by study, education, or labour

  3. to give special attention to: to cultivate a friendship; to cultivate a hobby

  4. to give or bring culture to (a person, society, etc); civilize

Origin of cultivate

1
C17: from Medieval Latin cultivāre to till, from Old French cultiver, from Medieval Latin cultīvus cultivable, from Latin cultus cultivated, from colere to till, toil over

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012