I. ˈkəlchə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, fr Latin cultura, from cultus (past participle of colere to till, cultivate) + -ura -ure — more at wheel
1.
a. : the art or practice of cultivating : the manner or method of cultivating : tillage
we ought to blame the culture , not the soil — Alexander Pope
b. obsolete : cultivated land : a cultivated area
2. : the act of developing by education, discipline, social experience : the training or refining of the moral and intellectual faculties
3.
a. : the cultivation or rearing of a particular product or crop or stock for supply
the culture of the vine
bee culture
b. : steady endeavor at improvement of or in a special line
culture of the sonnet
c. : professional or expert care and training
voice culture
beauty culture
4.
a. : the state of being cultivated ; especially : the enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training : the intellectual and artistic content of civilization : refinement in manners, taste, thought
b. : acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational, technical, or professional skill or knowledge
5.
a. : the total pattern of human behavior and its products embodied in thought, speech, action, and artifacts and dependent upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations through the use of tools, language, and systems of abstract thought
b. : the body of customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits constituting a distinct complex of tradition of a racial, religious, or social group
a nation with many cultures
Plains Indian culture
but to many men today the most interesting thing about society is its culture … that complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, morals, law, customs, opinions, religion, superstition, and art — Preserved Smith
c. : a complex of typical behavior or standardized social characteristics peculiar to a specific group, occupation or profession, sex, age grade, or social class
youth culture
middle class culture
d. : a recurring assemblage (as of artifacts, house types, methods of burial, and other evidences of a way of life) that differentiates a group of archaeological sites
6.
a. : cultivation of living material (as bacteria or tissues) in prepared nutrient media ; also : an instance of such cultivation or a growth that is the intended product of it
b. : any inoculated nutrient medium whether or not it contains living organisms — see medium 8; pure culture
7. : the details of a map in the aggregate that represent cultural features (as canals, buildings, roads)
II. transitive verb
( cultured ; cultured ; culturing -ch(ə)riŋ ; cultures )
Etymology: Middle French culturer, from culture, n.
1. : cultivate
2. biology
a. : to grow (as microorganisms or tissues) in a prepared medium
b. : to start a culture from
culture soil
also : to make a culture of
cultured milk
III. noun
: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize a company or corporation