poor farm
noun
: a farm maintained at public expense for the support and employment of needy persons
Examples of poor farm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Early in its history, the property hosted a poor farm and a sanitarium for tuberculosis patients.
—
Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
When they were forced to separate, Tate moved to her sister’s home in Queens, New York, and Austen to a home for the aged — and eventually, at age 84, a literal poor farm.
—Margaret Hetherman, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Bentonville, circa 1910: Before today's welfare programs indigent and homeless people might have been forced to live in the county poor farm.
—Ray Hanley, Arkansas Online, 17 June 2025
Painful departures will need to happen in order to populate an incredibly poor farm system with a new stable of talent.
—Sam Blum, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
However, twinkling stars, Captain Kirk and moon milestones could take a poor farm worker only so far.
—Contributing Writer, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
The white-planked barn with high cathedral ceilings was built in 1911, replacing a former structure, and is the sole remnant of the county’s poor farm, where the area’s indigent and people in need lived and worked for decades.
—Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
And, perhaps, more worthy of the respect for which a poor farm girl once longed.
—Sarah Smarsh, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
According to a history of Oak Forest, a poor farm was established in 1910 on the land that was intended to relieve overcrowded conditions at the county’s existing poor farm on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
—Mike Nolan, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2020
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Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
When they were forced to separate, Tate moved to her sister’s home in Queens, New York, and Austen to a home for the aged — and eventually, at age 84, a literal poor farm.
—Margaret Hetherman, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2025
Bentonville, circa 1910: Before today's welfare programs indigent and homeless people might have been forced to live in the county poor farm.
—Ray Hanley, Arkansas Online, 17 June 2025
Painful departures will need to happen in order to populate an incredibly poor farm system with a new stable of talent.
—Sam Blum, The Athletic, 19 July 2024
However, twinkling stars, Captain Kirk and moon milestones could take a poor farm worker only so far.
—Contributing Writer, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024
The white-planked barn with high cathedral ceilings was built in 1911, replacing a former structure, and is the sole remnant of the county’s poor farm, where the area’s indigent and people in need lived and worked for decades.
—Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024
And, perhaps, more worthy of the respect for which a poor farm girl once longed.
—Sarah Smarsh, Harper’s Magazine , 26 Oct. 2022
According to a history of Oak Forest, a poor farm was established in 1910 on the land that was intended to relieve overcrowded conditions at the county’s existing poor farm on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
—Mike Nolan, chicagotribune.com, 27 Nov. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Poor farm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poor%20farm. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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