Lewis & Short

1. ex-cŏlo, cŏlŭi, cultum, 3, v. a., to work carefully, to tend, cultivate.

  1. I. Lit. (very rare, and mostly post-Aug.): vineas, Plin. 14, 4, 5, § 48; cf. rura, Claud. ap. Eutr. 2, 196: victum hominum (boves), Plin. 8, 47, 72, § 187: lanas rudes, i. e. to spin fine, Ov. A. A. 2, 220.
    1. B. Transf., in gen., to improve, polish, adorn, perfect: marmora, quibus solum, quibus parietes excolantur, Plin. Ep. 9, 39, 3; Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 118; cf.: praetoria xystis et nemoribus, Suet. Aug. 72: urbem adeo, ut jure sit gloriatus marmoream se relinquere, id. ib. 28: aedificium, Dig. 7, 1, 44: fructuarius excolere quod invenit potest, qualitate aedium non immutata, ib. 7, 1, 13, § 7: vagos resecare capillos Doctus et hirsutas excoluisse genas, Mart. 6, 52, 4: triumphum, Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 135: tumulum in tropaei modum, Flor. 4, 12: legionarii injecere flammae arma sua, quibus exculti funus celebrabant, Suet. Caes. 84.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To improve, ennoble, refine, perfect (the class. signif. of the word): nihil tam horridum, tam incultum, quod non splendescat oratione et tamquam excolatur, Cic. Parad. prooem. § 3: C. Tuditanus omni vita atque victu excultus atque expolitus, id. Brut. 25, 95; cf.: mansuefactus et excultus, id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62: ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, id. Leg. 2, 14, 36: excultus doctrinā, id. Tusc. 1, 2, 4; cf. id. ib. 4, 38, 84; Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 15: animos doctrina, Cic. Arch. 6, 12: ingenia disciplinā exculta, id. Or. 15, 48: aetas exculta, id. Rep. 2, 10: quibus rebus exculta hominum vita tantum distat a victu et cultu bestiarum, id. Off. 2, 4, 15: inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes, Verg. A. 6, 663: an victus hominum Atheniensium beneficio excoli potuit, oratio non potuit? Cic. Or. 9, 31; so, mores aut studia, Quint. 4 praef. § 3: mores studiis, id. 12, 2, 1; 12, 3, 1; Gell. 13, 5, 2: orationem, Quint. 8, 3, 86; Tac. Or. 22: excultae cujusdam elegantiae, Quint. 6, 3, 20.
    2. B. Of persons, to honor (poet., and very rare, for the class. colere): deos, Phaedr. 4, 11, 10: aliquem, Ov. Pont. 1, 7, 59.