horticulture
noun
Did you know?
Hortus is Latin for "garden", and the first gardens were planted about 10,000 years ago in what is often called the Fertile Crescent—the crescent-shaped area stretching from Israel north through Syria and down Iraq's two great rivers to the Persian Gulf. Probably more fertile in previous centuries than it is today, it was the original home of such food plants as wheat, barley, peas, and lentils or their ancient ancestors (not to mention the ancestors of cows, pigs, sheep, and goats as well). Many horticulturists today work as researchers or plant breeders or tend orchards and greenhouses—but most American households contain at least one amateur horticulturist.
Examples of horticulture in a Sentence
Keerti Gopal, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
Research is limited on whether letting grass grow for only a few weeks meaningfully helps pollinators, according to David Lowenstein, a consumer horticulture expert for Michigan State University.
—CBS News, 7 May 2026
Markis Hill is a Johnson County, Kansas State University Extension horticulture agent.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 3 May 2026
Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for horticulture
Cite this Entry
“Horticulture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horticulture. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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horticulture
noun
