cultivator

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One who cultivates: an inveterate cultivator of beautiful gardens; a cultivator of valuable corporate contacts.
2. n. An implement or machine for loosening the soil and destroying weeds around growing plants.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. One who or that which cultivates. One who tills or prepares land for crops, or carries on the operations of husbandry in general; a farmer; a husbandman; an agriculturist. A producer by cultivation; a grower of any kind of products: as, a cultivator of oysters.
2. n. An agricultural implement used to loosen the earth and uproot the weeds about growing crops which are planted in rows or hills. It consists of points or shares attached to a framework, usually adjustable in width, and having draft-wheels which govern the depth to which the ground is broken up. It is drawn between the rows of plants by a horse. There are also light forms which are operated by hand. One who devotes special attention, care, or study to some person or pursuit.
3. n. This name is now applied to a great variety of horticultural and agricultural machines. They are divided into two classes, hand machines and horse machines; and the horse machines are classed as walking cultivators, and riding or sulky cultivators. Hand machines are supported upon one or two wheels placed in front, and have two long plow-handles by which they are pushed along the ground beside or astride of the rows of plants to be cultivated. All are provided with one or more teeth for breaking and stirring the soil and removing weeds, and have interchangeable tools (plows, rakes, hoes, scrapers, harrow-teeth, etc.) to adapt them to a variety of work. ‘Walking’ horse cultivators are supported upon a pair of wheels and are provided with a pair of plow-handles placed behind, by which they are guided by the operator walking in the rear. ‘Hiding’ cultivators are fitted with a seat above the cultivating-tools, in the rear of the machine and in reach of levers for controlling the tools. The teeth or tools of all horse machines are interchangeable, and are made in the form of small hoes, rakes, scrapers, plows, harrow-points, claws, weeders, and disks. Hand cultivators are often provided with seed drills, or other planting-appliances, and with fertilizer-distributing appliances. The combination of many tools in one machine has led to the use of many trade names.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any of several devices used to loosen or stir the soil, either to remove weeds or to provide aeration and drainage
2. n. A person who cultivates

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. One who cultivates.
2. n. An agricultural implement used in the tillage of growing crops, to loosen the surface of the earth and kill the weeds; esp., a triangular frame set with small shares, drawn by a horse and by handles.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. someone concerned with the science or art or business of cultivating the soil
2. n. a farm implement used to break up the surface of the soil (for aeration and weed control and conservation of moisture)