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
Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 14 July 2025
Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2025
Anthony Reardon is a horticulture agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
—Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
The holy grail of home horticulture is learning how to grow the perfect tomato crop just steps from your kitchen counter.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for horticulture
Cite this Entry
“Horticulture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horticulture. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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horticulture
noun
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