v. [f. cultīvāt-, ppl. stem of late (and med.)L. cultīvāre to till, (in It. coltivare, Pr. coltivar, cultivar, F. cultiver, OF. and dial. coutiver), f. late L. cultīvus (cultīva terra), characterized by being tilled, f. cultus, pa. pple. of colĕre to till, cultivate, take care of. For the form cf. captivate. In earlier use we had CULTIVE v.]
I. lit. 1. trans. To bestow labor and attention upon (land) in order to the raising of crops; to till; to improve and render fertile by husbandry.
1620–55. [see CULTIVATING vbl. sb.].
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Cultivate, to plow or Till.
1681. Otway, Soldier’s Fort., V. i. ’Tis a great pity so good a husbandman as you should want a farm to cultivate.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. xiii. A Country infinitely populous, but miserably cultivated.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 551. Most of the rivers of Bengal … have their banks cultivated with rice.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, II. 321. The Athenians returned to cultivate their fields.
1872. Yeats, Techn. Hist. Comm., 63. Gardens were cultivated by the ancient Greeks.
b. techn. To break up (ground) with a CUTIVATOR (sense 3).
1846. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., VII. II. 288. The stubble was ploughed, and in the spring of 1842 it was manured and grubbed, or ‘cultivated,’ and sown with mangold-wurzel.
2. To bestow labor and attention upon (a plant) so as to promote its growth; to produce or raise by tillage. Also transf. of fish, etc.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 193. Pot-herbs … cultivated with his daily Care.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 4. The Plants that Adam took pleasure to cultivate there.
1862. Cornh. Mag., V. 197. All the species of fish usually cultivated in the country.
1871. R. W. Dale, Commandm., ix. 231. A rose, however you cultivate it, remains a rose.
II. fig. 3. To improve and develop by education or training (a person, his mind, manners, faculties); to refine, to culture.
1681–6. J. Scott, Chr. Life (1747), III. 377. To cultivate its [a child’s] Manners with good Precepts and Counsels.
1713. Addison, Cato, I. To cultivate the wild licentious savage With wisdom, discipline, and liberal arts.
1779. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 273. I have endeavoured so to cultivate my mind, that [etc.].
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 348. To learn every thing to cultivate the spirit.
4. To promote the growth of, devote oneself to the advancement or development of (an art, science, sentiment, etc.); to foster.
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr., A iij. That great … designe … of cultivating the Sciences, and advancing of usefull knowledge. Ibid., 32. Ye that love vertue and cultivate the sciences.
1694. trans. Milton’s Lett. State, Sept. an. 1652. How firmly we are resolv’d to cultivate … that friendship which is between your serenity and this republic.
1747. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 302. Let us be the more careful to cultivate inward religion.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. W., cxvi. Though it cannot plant morals in the human breast, it cultivates them when there.
5. To devote one’s attention to, to prosecute, follow, practise, cherish (any art, science, sentiment, habit, or pursuit, esp. with the object of acquiring it, or improving oneself in it).
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, III. ii. [They] cultivate the same superstition with the Bannians in India.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, I. Pref. Let us cultivate our own excellent language.
1862. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., II. v. 167. The higher mathematics are absolutely necessary to those who cultivate … astronomy.
1863. Cowden Clarke, Shaks. Char., v. 123. As a soldier, he cultivates bluntness, as harmonising best with his professional character.
b. Phrases. To cultivate the acquaintance, friendship, or good opinion of, relations with.
(These connect 4 and 5.)
1699. Bentley, Phal., 276. He had IX entire years to cultivate a Friendship with Themistocles.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. ii. 10. He was more solicitous to cultivate her mamma’s good opinion, than hers.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, an. 1753. He cultivated his acquaintance.
1817. Jas. Mill, Brit. India, II. V. iv. 472. A desire to cultivate the friendship of the English.
1888. W. R. Carles, Life in Corea, i. 7. Mr. Mayers … did his utmost … to cultivate some relations with the people and officials.
c. Hence (ellipt.) To cultivate a person: to bestow attention upon him with a view to intimacy or favor; to court the acquaintance or friendship of.
1707. Collier, Refl. Ridic., 215. The Great honour him, cultivate him, respect him, court him.
1796. Burke, Lett. Noble Lord, Wks. VIII. 64. I loved, and cultivated him accordingly.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, xxxvi. 186. I … felt that he was a person I should like to cultivate.
1889. Cornh. Mag., Feb., 116. The County, iv. I shall cultivate Sir Joseph.
d. intr. Const. with. Obs.
1772. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary (1889), I. 169. If my father was disposed to cultivate with the world, what a delightful acquaintance he might have!
