ag ‧ ri ‧ cul ‧ ture W2 /ˈæɡrɪˌkʌltʃə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: French ; Origin: Latin agricultura , from ager 'field' + cultura 'use of land for crops' ]
the practice or science of farming:
More than 75% of the land is used for agriculture.
—agricultural /ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃ ə rəl◂/ adjective :
agricultural land
agricultural labourers
—agriculturalist noun [countable]
⇨ ↑ horticulture
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THESAURUS
▪ farm an area of land, used for growing crops or keeping animals:
a 300-hectare farm
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a dairy farm
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a sheep farm
▪ ranch a very large farm in the western US, Canada, or South America where sheep, cattle, or horses are bred:
a cattle ranch in Wyoming
▪ smallholding British English a piece of land used for farming, that is smaller than an ordinary farm:
a smallholding used for organic farming
▪ plantation a large area of land in a hot country, where crops such as tea, cotton, and sugar are grown:
a rubber plantation
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a tea plantation
▪ homestead a piece of land for farming that was given to people in the past by the US and Canadian governments:
He still farms on the family homestead, a hundred years after his grandfather received it.
▪ spread American English informal an area of land used for farming or ranching:
They have a pretty big spread just south of the Canadian border.
▪ market garden an area of land, often with ↑ greenhouse s on it, used for growing vegetables and fruit:
He runs his own market garden, and sells his produce to the big supermarkets.
▪ orchard an area of land with trees, used for growing fruit:
an apple orchard
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cherry orchards
▪ allotment British English a small area of land of land, especially in a town or city, which you can use for growing your own vegetables.The land is usually owned by the local council, who charge a very low rent:
We grew the tomatoes on our allotment.
▪ agriculture the practice of farming:
More than 75% of the land is used for agriculture.
▪ arable adjective relating to growing crops:
a lack of arable land