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cultivate - 5 dictionary results

cul⋅ti⋅vate

  [kuhl-tuh-veyt]
Use cultivate in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -vat⋅ed, -vat⋅ing.
1. to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
2. to use a cultivator on.
3. to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor and attention.
4. to produce by culture: to cultivate a strain of bacteria.
5. to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine: to cultivate a singing voice.
6. to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.
7. to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.).
8. to seek to promote or foster (friendship, love, etc.).
9. to seek the acquaintance or friendship of (a person).
Origin:
1610–20; < ML cultīvātus (ptp. of cultīvāre to till), equiv. to cultīv(us) (L cult(us), ptp. of colere to care for, till (cf. cult ) + -īvus -ive ) + -ātus -ate 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To cultivate
cul·ti·vate   (kŭl'tə-vāt')   
tr.v.   cul·ti·vat·ed, cul·ti·vat·ing, cul·ti·vates
    1. To improve and prepare (land), as by plowing or fertilizing, for raising crops; till.
    2. To loosen or dig soil around (growing plants).
  2. To grow or tend (a plant or crop).
  3. To promote the growth of (a biological culture).
  4. To nurture; foster. See Synonyms at nurture.
  5. To form and refine, as by education.
  6. To seek the acquaintance or goodwill of; make friends with.

[Medieval Latin cultīvāre, cultīvāt-, from cultīvus, tilled, from Latin cultus, past participle of colere, to till; see kwel-1 in Indo-European roots.]
cul'ti·vat'a·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultivate

Cul"ti*vate\ (k?l"t?-v?t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cultivated (-v?`t?d); p. pr. & vb. n. Cultivating (-v?`-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's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : cultivate
Spanish: cultivar,
German: bebauen,
Japanese: 耕作する
More Translations »

cultivate 
1620, from M.L. cultivatus, pp. of cultivare, from L.L. cultivus "tilled," from L. cultus (see cult). Figurative sense of "improve by training or education" is from 1681.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: cul·ti·vate
Pronunciation: 'k&l-t&-"vAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -vat·ed; -vat·ing
: CULTURE 1 cultivated in brain tissue>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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