horticulture
- 01 C1 Advanced
the science or professional activity of growing plants, flowers, and vegetables.
the art or science of cultivating gardens, encompassing the growth of flowers, fruits, and vegetables for human use or ornament.
Simple“After years of working in the park, she decided to study horticulture at college.”
In context“The university's department of horticulture is currently researching sustainable methods for managing urban green spaces in arid climates.”
UsageUncountable in its general sense; often used as a field of study or a professional industry.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
growing food on a small scale, like in a garden rather than a huge farm.
small-scale or intensive plant cultivation, distinguished from large-scale, extensive agriculture.
Simple“The local community relies on horticulture to provide fresh vegetables for the village.”
In context“Anthropologists distinguish between horticulture, which involves hand tools and small plots, and agriculture, which utilizes plows and draft animals.”
Teacher's tipIn academic contexts, this sense is used to contrast small-scale human gardening with industrial farming.
Synonymssmall scale farmingAntonyms
“Julie Kendall, outdoor horticulture manager at Eden Project, said it was a "brilliant reminder" of the important role gardens play as "staging posts for wildlife on the move".”
“When it comes to waterborne pathogens like cyclosporiasis , the physical attributes of leaves make them susceptible to harboring disease, says Kristin Krokowski, a commercial horticulture educator at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.”
17th century, from the Latin word hortus (“garden”) + culture (on the model of agriculture).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.