[ad. (prob. through Fr. agriculture, 17th c. in Littré), L. agricultūra, i.e., agri cultūra tillage of the land: see CULTURE.] The science and art of cultivating the soil; including the allied pursuits of gathering in the crops and rearing livestock; tillage, husbandry, farming (in the widest sense).

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1603.  Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 9. Such tooles as pertaine to Agriculture and husbandrie.

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1650.  J. Jones, Judges Judged, 35. Their sweet Farmhouses, large fields, and industrious Agricultures.

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1658.  Sir T. Browne, Gard. Cyrus, II. 504. Future discovery in Botanical Agriculture.

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1751.  Johnson, Rambl., No. 145, ¶ 3. If we estimate dignity by immediate usefulness, agriculture is undoubtedly the first and noblest science.

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1831.  Scott, A. Geierst., iii. 45. A glance round the walls showed the implements of agriculture.

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  b.  restricted to, Tillage. rare.

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1862.  Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xii. 228. The lands … were not fields for agriculture, but pastures for cattle.

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