Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production.
- n. A tract of land devoted to the raising and breeding of domestic animals.
- n. An area of water devoted to the raising, breeding, or production of a specific aquatic animal: a trout farm; an oyster farm.
- n. An area of land devoted to the storage of a commodity or the emplacement of a group of devices: a tank farm; an antenna farm.
- n. Baseball A minor-league club affiliated with a major-league club for the training of recruits and the maintenance of temporarily unneeded players.
- n. Obsolete The system of leasing out the rights of collecting and retaining taxes in a certain district.
- n. Obsolete A district so leased.
- v. To cultivate or produce a crop on.
- v. To pay a fixed sum in order to have the right to collect and retain profits from (a business, for example).
- v. To turn over (a business, for example) to another in return for the payment of a fixed sum.
- v. To engage in farming.
- farm out To send (work, for example) from a central point to be done elsewhere.
- farm out Baseball To assign (a player) to a minor-league team.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In old English use, the revenue or rent from lands under lease; revenue, rent, or income in general, but originally chiefly in the form of natural products.
- n. The state of land leased on rent reserved; a lease; possession under lease: as, in law, to farm let, or let to farm.
- n. The system, method, or act of collecting revenue by letting out a territory in districts.
- n. A country or district let out for the collection of revenue.
- n. A tract of land devoted to general or special cultivation under a single control, whether that of its owner or of a tenant: as, a small farm; a wheat-, fruit-, dairy-, or market-farm.
- n. A farm-house; a grange; a granary.
- n. A dwelling; a habitation; a lodging.
- n. A farm or portion of a farm nearest to or surrounding the home.
- To lease, as land, at a stated rent; give a lease of, as land; let to a tenant on condition of paying rent: as, to farm a manor.
- Specifically To lease or let (taxes, imposts, or other duties) for a term at a stated rental: generally with out. It was formerly customary in some European countries, and is still in some eastern ones, for the ruler or government to farm the revenues (taxes or rents, imposts, and excise) to individuals for a certain percentage on the amount collected, or for the payment of fixed sums, the farmers of the revenue retaining the surplus of their collections.
- To take at a certain rent or rate; take a lease of; pay a stated sum or percentage for the use, collection, etc., of.
- To cultivate, as land; till and plant.
- To be employed in agriculture; cultivate the soil.
- n. Food; a meal.
- To cleanse or empty.
Wiktionary
- n. A place where agricultural and similar activities take place, especially the growing of crops or the raising of livestock.
- n. A location used for an industrial purpose, having many similar structures.
- n. A group of coordinated servers.
- v. To work on a farm, especially in the growing and harvesting of crops.
- v. To grow a particular crop.
- v. The practice of grinding in a particular area or set of enemies for a particular drop (or set thereof).
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The rent of land, -- originally paid by reservation of part of its products.
- n. The term or tenure of a lease of land for cultivation; a leasehold.
- n. The land held under lease and by payment of rent for the purpose of cultivation.
- n. Any tract of land devoted to agricultural purposes, under the management of a tenant or the owner.
- n. A district of country leased (or farmed) out for the collection of the revenues of government.
- n. A lease of the imposts on particular goods.
- v. To lease or let for an equivalent, as land for a rent; to yield the use of to proceeds.
- v. To give up to another, as an estate, a business, the revenue, etc., on condition of receiving in return a percentage of what it yields.
- v. To take at a certain rent or rate.
- v. To devote (land) to agriculture; to cultivate, as land; to till, as a farm.
- v. To engage in the business of tilling the soil; to labor as a farmer.
WordNet 3.0
- n. workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
- v. collect fees or profits
- v. cultivate by growing, often involving improvements by means of agricultural techniques
- v. be a farmer; work as a farmer
Etymologies
- Middle English, lease, leased property, from Old French ferme, from Medieval Latin firma, fixed payment, from Latin firmāre, to establish, from firmus, firm; see dher- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“From her first words -- "I thank you, my loyal men, for the great service you have rendered our farm, and indeed _our _farm I consider it, for we all play our part" -- I saw hostility written on every face, and as she drank, I shuddered to think of what might be said when we had departed that could not be spat out in our presence.”
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
“The word farm comes from the Latin word, firma, which means an unchanging payment.”
“Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land.”
“But a much older meaning of the word farm is linked to economics.”
“What distinguishes a Demeter certified Biodynamic farm from a certified organic farm is that, in its entirety, a Demeter Biodynamic farm is managed as a living organism.”
WBW #29: Shinn Estate Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Franc (North Fork)
“A "finca" is perhaps the closest to the term farm in its European sense, a few acres including a few fields and some cattle. "hacienda" has an old tenure connotation, a certain prestige even if the "hacienda" lost most of its glamour and lands!”
“Cows, sheep, chickens etc are FARMED for their meet - hence the term farm animals.”
“Readers will appreciate the latest Langslow tale as snakes on the farm is a fun lighthearted frolic.”
Cockatiels at Seven-Donna Andrews « The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
“Experts say the earliest meaning of the English word farm was a yearly payment made as a tax or rent.”
“Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa's rich heritage.”

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