ENGLISH
REFERENCE

arable

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈæɹəbəɫ// UK //ˈæɹɐbəl// arable

adj. describing land that is suitable for growing crops. You use this to talk about farming areas where you can plant things like wheat or corn.

adj. capable of being ploughed and sown with crops. Often used in the plural to refer to the total area of land available for agricultural production.


SIMPLE

The farm owns several hundred acres of arable land.

CONTEXTUAL

The government is investing in new irrigation systems to increase the amount of arable land in the region.

COMPLEX

While the northern slopes are too steep for arable farming, the valley floor provides ideal conditions for high-yield cereal crops due to its deep, fertile soil.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English arable, from Middle French arable, from Old French arable, from Latin arābilis, formed from arō (“plow”) + -bilis (“able to be”). Cognate with earable (“arable”).

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