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-ate1]
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.]
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.
prepare for crops; "Work the soil"; "cultivate the land"
3.
teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment; "Cultivate your musical taste"; "Train your tastebuds"; "She is well schooled in poetry" [syn: educate]
4.
adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment; "domesticate oats"; "tame the soil" [syn: domesticate]
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.
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