Arable farming involves growing crops such as wheat and barley rather than keeping animals or growing fruit and vegetables. Arable land is land that is used for arable farming.
...arable farmers.
...arable crops.
Synonyms: productive, fertile, fruitful, fecund More Synonyms of arable
arable in British English
(ˈærəbəl)
adjective
1.
(of land) being or capable of being tilled for the production of crops
2.
of, relating to, or using such land
arable farming
noun
3.
arable land or farming
Word origin
C15: from Latin arābilis that can be ploughed, from arāre to plough
arable in American English
(ˈærəbəl; ˈɛrəbəl)
adjective
1.
suitable for plowing, hence for producing crops
noun
2.
arable land
Derived forms
arability (ˌaraˈbility) (ˈærəˈbɪləti)
noun
Word origin
Fr < L arabilis < arare, to plow < IE base *ar- > Gr aroun, Goth arjan, to plow
Examples of 'arable' in a sentence
arable
Organic farmers thought it meant planting fruit trees through their arable crops.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
There is a growing shortage of arable land.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Her father was obliged to give up all his arable land.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
These fields were for arable and mixed farming.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
The original arable and dairy farm was struggling.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
My small arable farm produces much less than before.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Big grass margins in arable farms that have gone into stewardship schemes are a recent positive.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Using conventional crops for biofuels also maintains arable production capacity and provides an easy option to return land to food production.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
This would enable a mere 844 families to settle on arable land.
Tomlinson, Richard Urbanization in Post-Apartheid South Africa (1990)
Despite low commodity prices, a low supply of commercial arable farms is keeping prices high.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Sheep are often grazed on land that is wholly unsuitable for arable crops or anything else, including forestry.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
When there is a world shortage of food, taking good arable land out of use is a sin.
The Sun (2012)
And algae can be raised on land that is not suitable for farming, avoiding arguments about using arable land to produce fuel.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Finding and his neighbours have around 3,500 acres of land, used mostly for arable crops.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Why use a third of the world's arable land to grow soya and other cereals to feed farm animals when they could graze in fields?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Incidentally, it's his parents who actually run the arable and sheep farm.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They also argue that, contrary to popular belief, we are not running out of arable land.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The farm is mostly arable, though he recently diversified with some cattle, which has been very successful.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It's known as mixed farming, because it balances the cultivation of arable crops with the keeping of livestock.
Francis Pryor BRITAIN BC: Life In Britain and Ireland before the Romans (2003)
But on nearly all arable farms there is 3 to 4 per cent of land that is not particularly productive and can be left for wildlife.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This week's theme is wheat, and the way that arable farming builds towards an annual climax gives the programme a better narrative shape than earlier episodes.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
arable
British English: arable ADJECTIVE
Arable farming involves growing crops such as wheat and barley rather than keeping animals or growing fruit and vegetables.