English Explanatory Dictionary

cultivate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To grow plants, notably crops.
  2. To nurture; to foster; to tend.
  3. To turn or stir soil in preparation for planting or as a method of weed control between growing crop plants.

Pronunciation

/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/ en-us-cultivate.ogg

Word forms

cultivate cultivates cultivating cultivated

Etymology

From Medieval Latin cultivātus, perfect passive participle of cultivō (“till, cultivate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), 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”).

Derived words

cocultivate cultivable cultivar cultivatable cultivated cultivation cultivator miscultivate overcultivate recultivate subcultivate uncultivate uncultivated
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