cultivat

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cultivated p. pr. & vb. n. Cultivating ] [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To direct special attention to; to devote time and thought to; to foster; to cherish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leisure . . . to cultivate general literature. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To seek the society of; to court intimacy with. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To improve by labor, care, or study; to impart culture to; to civilize; to refine. [ 1913 Webster ]

To cultivate the wild, licentious savage. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mind of man hath need to be prepared for piety and virtue; it must be cultivated to the end. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To raise or produce by tillage; to care for while growing; as, to cultivate corn or grass. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. marked by refinement in taste and manners; as, cultivated tastes in art.
Syn. -- civilized, cultured, genteel, polite. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. used for raising crops; -- of land or soil. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. cultivation. ] 1. The art or act of cultivating; improvement for agricultural purposes or by agricultural processes; tillage; production by tillage. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Bestowal of time or attention for self-improvement or for the benefit of others; fostering care. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The state of being cultivated; advancement in physical, intellectual, or moral condition; refinement; culture. [ 1913 Webster ]

Italy . . . was but imperfectly reduced to cultivation before the irruption of the barbarians. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]