noun
plantation
plan-TAY-shuhn
noun
1
A large farm or estate, especially in a hot climate, growing a single cash crop and historically worked by enslaved or indentured labourers.
"The novel is set on a sugar plantation in the nineteenth century."
"Tourists can visit the restored plantation house and grounds."
2
An area deliberately planted with trees for timber or landscaping.
"The hillside was covered with a pine plantation."
How to Use Plantation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA large agricultural estate growing one crop, or a planted stand of trees.
When to use it
In a historical context, "plantation" is closely tied to the history of slavery in the Americas, and the word is often used with that weight.
Common pairings
cotton plantation
tea plantation
plantation owner
Word Forms
plantations plural
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The novel is set on a sugar _____ in the nineteenth century.
Etymology
From Latin plantatio, "a planting," from plantare, "to plant." Its use for a colonial estate comes from the older sense of "establishing a settlement" on new land.