cultivate
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Medieval Latin cultivātus, perfect passive participle of cultivō (“till, cultivate”), 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”).
PronunciationEdit
VerbEdit
cultivate (third-person singular simple present cultivates, present participle cultivating, simple past and past participle cultivated)
- To grow plants, notably crops.
- Most farmers in this region cultivate maize.
- (figuratively) To nurture; to foster; to tend.
- They tried to cultivate an interest in learning among their students.
- 1819, John William Polidori, The Vampyre:
- Left also to himself by guardians […] he cultivated more his imagination than his judgment
- To turn or stir soil in preparation for planting.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
grow plants, notably crops
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nurture
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turn or stir soil in preparation for planting
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
InterlinguaEdit
ParticipleEdit
cultivate