cultivate

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To grow plants, notably crops.

   Most farmers in this region cultivate maize.

2. 2
   verb

   To nurture; to foster; to tend.

   They tried to cultivate an interest in learning among their students.

3. 3
   verb

   to adapt a wild plant or unclaimed land to the environment

4. 4
   verb

   to prepare for crops

5. 5
   verb

   to foster the growth of

6. 6
   verb

   to teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment

7. 7
   verb

   To turn or stir soil in preparation for planting or as a method of weed control between growing crop plants.

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”).