cultivate

cultivate
cul|ti|vate [ˈkʌltıveıt] v [T]
[Date: 1600-1700; : Medieval Latin; Origin: , past participle of cultivare, from cultivus 'used for crops', from Latin cultus, past participle of colere 'to cultivate']
1.) to prepare and use land for growing crops and plants
The land was too rocky to cultivate.
2.) formal to plant and take care of a particular crop
= ↑grow
We cultivated maize and watermelons.
3.) to work hard to develop a particular skill, attitude, or quality
Try to cultivate a more relaxed and positive approach to life.
The company has been successful in cultivating a very professional image.
4.) to make an effort to develop a friendly relationship with someone, especially someone who can help you
Professor Gladwyn would be an acquaintance worth cultivating.

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cultivate — cul‧ti‧vate [ˈkʌltveɪt] verb [transitive] 1. FARMING to prepare and use land for growing crops and plants: • Some of the land would be impossible to cultivate. 2. to develop a particular skill or quality in yourself: • The company has been… …   Financial and business terms

  • cultivate — [v1] develop land for growing breed, crop, dress, farm, fertilize, garden, harvest, labor, manage, mature, plant, plow, prepare, propagate, raise, ripen, seed, tend, till, work; concepts 253,257 Ant. destroy, ignore, neglect cultivate [v2] enrich …   New thesaurus

  • cultivate — [kul′tə vāt΄] vt. cultivated, cultivating [< ML cultivatus, pp. of cultivare < LL cultivus, tilled < L cultus: see CULT] 1. to prepare and use (soil or land) for growing crops; till 2. to break up the surface soil around (plants) in… …   English World dictionary

  • cultivate — I verb advance, colere, develop, elevate, enrich, farm, forward, foster, further, garden, improve, make better, nourish, nurture, polish, prepare for crops, promote, rarefy, refine, till, train, work II index ameliorate, cause, develop …   Law dictionary

  • cultivate — (v.) early 17c., from M.L. cultivatus, pp. of cultivare, from L.L. cultivus tilled, from L. cultus (see CULT (Cf. cult)). Figurative sense of improve by training or education is from 1680s. Related: Cultivable; cultivated; cultivating …   Etymology dictionary

  • cultivate — nurture, *nurse, foster, cherish Analogous words: develop, *mature, ripen: raise, rear (see LIFT): educate, train, instruct, *teach: *improve, better, ameliorate Contrasted words: *neglect, ignore, disregard, slight …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • cultivate — ► VERB 1) prepare and use (land) for crops or gardening. 2) raise or grow (plants or crops). 3) grow or maintain (living cells or tissue) in an artificial medium containing nutrients. 4) try to acquire or develop (a quality or skill). 5) try to… …   English terms dictionary

  • cultivate — 01. They [cultivate] grapes for making excellent wine in many parts of the Okanagan. 02. It is the job of a parent to [cultivate] a sense of self confidence in children. 03. Boris Yeltsin [cultivated] Vladimir Putin as his successor as the leader …   Grammatical examples in English

  • cultivate — [[t]kʌ̱ltɪveɪt[/t]] cultivates, cultivating, cultivated 1) VERB If you cultivate land or crops, you prepare land and grow crops on it. [V n] She also cultivated a small garden of her own. [V ed] ...the few patches of cultivated land. Derived… …   English dictionary

  • cultivate — transitive verb ( vated; vating) Etymology: Medieval Latin cultivatus, past participle of cultivare, from cultivus cultivable, from Latin cultus, past participle of colere Date: circa 1655 1. to prepare or prepare and use for the raising of… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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