Brewer's: Adam's Profession

Gardening, agriculture. Adam was appointed by God to dress the garden of Eden, and to keep it (Gen. ii. 15); and after the fall he was sent out of the garden “to till the ground” (Gen. iii. 23).

“There is no ancient gentlemen, but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profession.”

—The Clown in Hamlet, v. 1.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language