Farm Definition

färm

farmed, farming, farms

noun

farms

A fixed sum payable at regular intervals, as rent or taxes.

Webster's New World

A tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production.

American Heritage

An area of water devoted to the raising, breeding, or production of a specific aquatic animal.

A trout farm; an oyster farm.

American Heritage

The condition of being let out at a fixed rent.

Webster's New World

A piece of land (with house, barns, etc.) on which crops or animals are raised: orig., such land let out to tenants.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

verb

farmed, farming, farms

To cultivate (land)

Webster's New World

To work on or operate a farm; raise crops or animals on a farm.

Webster's New World

To cultivate or rear (plants or animals) on a farm.

Webster's New World

To collect the taxes and other fees of (a business) on a commission basis or for a fixed amount.

Webster's New World

To turn over to another for a fee.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

idiom

farm out

to rent (land, a business, etc.) in return for a fixed payment
to send (work) from a shop, office, etc. to workers on the outside

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Farm

Noun

Singular:

farm

Plural:

farms

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Farm

farm out

Origin of Farm

From Middle English ferme, farme (“rent, revenue, produce, factor, stewardship, meal, feast”), from Anglo-Norman ferme (“rent, lease, farm”), from Medieval Latin ferma, firma), from Old English feorm, fearm, farm (“provision, food, supplies, provisions supplied by a tenant or vassal to his lord, rent, possessions, stores, feast, entertainment, haven”), from Proto-Germanic *fermō (“means of living, subsistence”), from Proto-Germanic *ferhwō, *ferhuz (“life force, body, being”), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“life, force, strength, tree”). Cognate with Scots ferm (“rent, farm”). Related also to Old English feorh (“life, spirit”), German Ferch (“life, blood”), Icelandic fjör (“life, vitality, vigour, animation”), Gothic (fairƕus, “the world”). Compare also Old English feormehām (“farm”), feormere (“purveyor, grocer”).

From Wiktionary
Old English feorm is the origin of Medieval Latin ferma, firma (“farm", also "feast”) (whence also Old French ferme, Occitan ferma), instead of the historically assumed derivation from unrelated Latin firma (“firm, solid”), which shares the same form. The sense of "rent, fixed payment", which was already present in the Old English word, may have been further strengthened due to resemblance to Latin firmitas (“security, surety”). Additionally, Old French ferme continued to shape the development of the English word throughout the Middle English period .

From Wiktionary
Middle English lease, leased property from Old French ferme from Medieval Latin firma fixed payment from Latin firmāre to establish from firmus firm dher- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition