01 v. t. To bestow attention, care, and labor upon, with a view to valuable returns; to till; to fertilize; as, to cultivate soil.
imp. & p. p.
Cultivated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Cultivating
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1.
To bestow attention, care, and labor upon, with a view to valuable returns; to till; to fertilize; as, to cultivate soil.
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2.
To direct special attention to; to devote time and thought to; to foster; to cherish.“Leisure . . . to cultivate general literature.” — Wordsworth.
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3.
To seek the society of; to court intimacy with.“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.
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4.
To improve by labor, care, or study; to impart culture to; to civilize; to refine.“To cultivate the wild, licentious savage.” — Addison.“The mind of man hath need to be prepared for piety and virtue; it must be cultivated to the end.” — Tillotson.
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5.
To raise or produce by tillage; to care for while growing; as, to cultivate corn or grass.