# Burbank

/ˈbɝˌbæŋk/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/burbank
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

to develop or improve a type of plant, especially by crossing different varieties.

For teachers: to modify or improve plant varieties through selective breeding and cross-pollination. Named after horticulturist Luther Burbank; often implies the creation of more productive or resilient strains.

## Examples

- Scientists continue to burbank new types of wheat for dry climates.
- The agricultural station spent years trying to burbank a potato that could resist the local blight.
- While the term is now less common in academic botany, it historically described the ambitious effort to burbank wild species into commercially viable crops through rigorous hybridization.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is often used in historical or agricultural contexts.

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