plantation

¹

[plan-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. a large farm or estate in a tropical or semitropical zone, for the cultivation of cotton, tobacco, coffee, sugarcane, etc., typically by enslaved, unpaid, or low-wage resident laborers.

2. a group of planted trees or plants.

3. History/Historical.

   1. a colony or new settlement.

   2. the establishment of a colony or new settlement.

4. Archaic.,  the planting of seeds, young trees, etc.

adjective

1. (of clothing, furnishings, etc.) suitable for a plantation or for a tropical or semitropical country.

Plantation

²

[plan-tey-shuhn]

noun

1. a town in S Florida.

plantation

/ plænˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. an estate, esp in tropical countries, where cash crops such as rubber, oil palm, etc, are grown on a large scale

2. a group of cultivated trees or plants

3. (formerly) a colony or group of settlers

4. rare,  the planting of seeds, shoots, etc

Other Word Forms

• plantationlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plantation¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English plantacioune, from Latin plantātiōn- (stem of plantātiō ) “a planting”; plant (verb), -ation

Example Sentences

In it, Deen visits a plantation that was once owned by a distant ancestor of hers named Billy.

From Salon

Although the study focused on one forest in Northern California, it has implications across the Western U.S., where this kind of “plantation”-style logging is common.

From Los Angeles Times

Where forests are converted to plantations of oil palm or other crops, the consequences are even more serious, with many orangutans starving.

From Salon

"He'd taken names of genuine plantations but no-one involved in the actual plantations had heard they were selling to The Balmoral and that's because none of them had produced any tea from their plants."

From BBC

The Nazis even drain the Mediterranean Sea to produce vast, fertile plantation land to be tilled by slaves.

From Salon

Related Words

• estate 
• homestead 
• orchard 
• ranch