Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The science or art of cultivating fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants.
  • noun The cultivation of a garden.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The cultivation of a garden; the art of cultivating or managing gardens.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The cultivation of a garden or orchard; the art of cultivating gardens or orchards.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The art or science of cultivating gardens; gardening.
  • noun Small scale agriculture.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the cultivation of plants

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin hortus, garden; see gher- in Indo-European roots + (agri)culture.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

17th century, from the Latin word hortus ("garden") + culture (on the model of agriculture).

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Examples

  • Its director of horticulture is Gary Outenreath, former leader at Galveston's famous Moody Gardens.

    Shangri La Gardens pre-Rita 2006

  • Its director of horticulture is Gary Outenreath, former leader at Galveston's famous Moody Gardens.

    Archive 2006-01-01 2006

  • Are there any expats involved in horticulture-related businesses, i.e. landscape design, nurseries, flower shops etc.

    Horticulture Businesses 2005

  • Are there any expats involved in horticulture-related businesses, i.e. landscape design, nurseries, flower shops etc.

    Horticulture Businesses 2005

  • Challenged to use the word horticulture in a sentence, Parker, a literary figure known for her "instant wit and cruel humour," once quipped:

    Archive 2006-08-01 M-mv 2006

  • Challenged to use the word horticulture in a sentence, Parker, a literary figure known for her "instant wit and cruel humour," once quipped:

    What fresh hell is this? M-mv 2006

  • In Florida, for example, they become interested in horticulture, and in other parts of our country they make candles and perfume.

    Helping the Mentally Retarded 1969

  • In that form of intensive agriculture to which is given the designation horticulture, there may be recognized several more or less distinct divisions, as fruit growing, market gardening, truck farming and floriculture.

    The Young Farmer: Some Things He Should Know Thomas Forsyth Hunt 1894

  • If time and money are both lacking, and horticulture is not a hobby, divide what sum you are prepared to spend on your little garden in two.

    Mary's Meadow; and Letters From a Little Garden 1886

  • After buying, planting then leaving behind shrubs in someone else's garden a couple of times, Bagehot long ago gave up on long-term horticulture, and now-given some outside space to play with-just about runs to a tub or two of lavender and the odd geranium.

    The Economist: Daily news and views 2011

Comments

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  • “You can drag a horticulture, but you can't make her think.�?

    --Dorothy Parker (on being challenged to use the word horticulture in a sentence)

    July 2, 2007