shifting cultivationBrE /ˌʃɪftɪŋ ˌkʌltɪˈveɪʃn/ 🔊NAmE /ˌʃɪftɪŋ ˌkʌltɪˈveɪʃn/ 🔊 noun [uncountable] (specialist) a way of farming in some tropical countries in which farmers use an area of land until it cannot be used for growing plants any more, then move to a new area of land （某些热带国家的）移耕农业，迁徙耕作，游耕