Cul·ti·vate v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cultivated p. pr. & vb. n. Cultivating ]
 1. To bestow attention, care, and labor upon, with a view to valuable returns; to till; to fertilize; as, to cultivate soil.
 2. To direct special attention to; to devote time and thought to; to foster; to cherish.
    Leisure . . . to cultivate general literature.   --Wordsworth.
 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.
 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.
 5. To raise or produce by tillage; to care for while growing; as, to cultivate corn or grass.
 ◄ ►