often attributive
1
obsolete
: a sum or due fixed in amount and payable at fixed intervals
2
: a letting out of revenues or taxes for a fixed sum to one authorized to collect and retain them
3
: a district or division of a country leased out for the collection of government revenues
4
: a tract of land devoted to agricultural purposes
5
a
: a plot of land devoted to the raising of animals and especially domestic livestock
b
: a tract of water reserved for the artificial cultivation of some aquatic life form
a fish farm
6
: a minor-league team (as in baseball) associated with a major-league team as a subsidiary
7
: an area containing a number of similar structures or objects (such as radio antennas or storage tanks)
farmed; farming; farms
1
obsolete
: rent
2
: to collect and take the fees or profits of (an occupation or business) on payment of a fixed sum
3
: to give up (something, such as an estate or a business) to another on condition of receiving in return a fixed sum
4
a
: to devote to agriculture
b
: to manage and cultivate as a farm
c
: to grow or cultivate in quantity
farm trees for fuel
farm salmon
: to engage in raising crops or animals
Synonyms
Examples of farm in a Sentence
Noun
She grew up on a dairy farm.
Running a farm is hard work.
Verb
My uncle has been farming this land for 60 years.
My uncle has been farming on this land for 60 years.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The new restaurant will include a kebab grill to cook marinated meats and vegetables from Patel’s Homestead farm — and a ventanita from which to order them.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Upon learning from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week that cows in a handful of dairy farms had tested positive for bird flu, the CDC contacted state health departments, asking them to work with farms to identify any person who may be showing symptoms.
—Sara G. Miller, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Last week, all four farmers each brought a new dater back to their farms.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
Chicory coffee sourced from his parents’ farm is served at Midnight Temple.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
Avian flu hits dairy-producing cattle farms Today, 20 states explicitly prohibit intrastate raw milk sales in some form, and 30 allow it, according to the FDA.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Our family also grows our own herbs, fruits, vegetables, and so many other things on our farm here in Florida.
—Akili King, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024
Southern Migrant Legal Services and Mississippi Center for Justice sued Jerry Nobile, his son Will Nobile and their farms in August on behalf of 14 Black farmworkers.
—Emily Wagster Pettus, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The Chicago Eco House farms the flowers, while Southside Blooms works as a fulfillment center, the couple explained.
—Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
The family emigrated from Germany and settled in the Oxnard area in the late 1800s, farming sugar beets and lima beans before moving into citrus, then row crops.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The reason was an earth wall—known as a bund, built more than half a century ago where the estuary of the local river meets the sea—that blocked off incoming seawater to transform the saltwater wetlands into a ponded freshwater pasture for cattle farming.
—Bianca Nogrady, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024
The tribe has farmed in the Santa Cruz Valley for millennia.
—The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2024
Maya milpa farming: Forest access is essential In the tropical lowlands of Mexico and Central America, Indigenous Maya farmers have been practicing milpa agriculture for thousands of years.
—Chelsea Fisher, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024
One way was to expand the amount of land farmed organically.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The first thing to understand is that authentic wasabi is the version farmed and cultivated in Eastern countries while imitation wasabi is mass produced in the West.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Noun
Following decades of diminishing membership in the vast stretches of California’s farm fields, the UFW had seized on a new way to unionize workers, made possible by recent state legislation.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The new restaurant will include a kebab grill to cook marinated meats and vegetables from Patel’s Homestead farm — and a ventanita from which to order them.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
Upon learning from the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week that cows in a handful of dairy farms had tested positive for bird flu, the CDC contacted state health departments, asking them to work with farms to identify any person who may be showing symptoms.
—Sara G. Miller, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Last week, all four farmers each brought a new dater back to their farms.
—Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2024
Chicory coffee sourced from his parents’ farm is served at Midnight Temple.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
Avian flu hits dairy-producing cattle farms Today, 20 states explicitly prohibit intrastate raw milk sales in some form, and 30 allow it, according to the FDA.
—Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Our family also grows our own herbs, fruits, vegetables, and so many other things on our farm here in Florida.
—Akili King, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024
Southern Migrant Legal Services and Mississippi Center for Justice sued Jerry Nobile, his son Will Nobile and their farms in August on behalf of 14 Black farmworkers.
—Emily Wagster Pettus, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
The Rappahannock River Pearls, on the other hand, are farmed near the Chesapeake Bay.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The Chicago Eco House farms the flowers, while Southside Blooms works as a fulfillment center, the couple explained.
—Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
The family emigrated from Germany and settled in the Oxnard area in the late 1800s, farming sugar beets and lima beans before moving into citrus, then row crops.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The reason was an earth wall—known as a bund, built more than half a century ago where the estuary of the local river meets the sea—that blocked off incoming seawater to transform the saltwater wetlands into a ponded freshwater pasture for cattle farming.
—Bianca Nogrady, WIRED, 19 Mar. 2024
The tribe has farmed in the Santa Cruz Valley for millennia.
—The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2024
Maya milpa farming: Forest access is essential In the tropical lowlands of Mexico and Central America, Indigenous Maya farmers have been practicing milpa agriculture for thousands of years.
—Chelsea Fisher, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2024
One way was to expand the amount of land farmed organically.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The first thing to understand is that authentic wasabi is the version farmed and cultivated in Eastern countries while imitation wasabi is mass produced in the West.
—Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'farm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English ferme, from Anglo-French, from fermer to fix, rent, from Latin firmare to make firm, from firmus firm
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of farm was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing farm
Dictionary Entries Near farm
Cite this Entry
“Farm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/farm. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
farm
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a piece of land used for growing crops or raising livestock
b
: a body of water used for the cultivation of aquatic animals
an oyster farm
2
: a minor-league baseball team
farm
2 of 2 verb1
: to turn over to another usually for an agreed payment
—usually used with out
farm out the electrical work
2
a
: to devote to agriculture
farm 60 acres
b
: to engage in raising crops or animals
More from Merriam-Webster on farm
Nglish: Translation of farm for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of farm for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about farm
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