Definition of "farm"

farm¹

/fɑːɹm/

noun
plural farms
1. A place where agricultural and similar activities take place, especially the growing of crops or the raising of livestock.
2. A tract of land held on lease for the purpose of cultivation.
3. (often in combination) A location used for an industrial purpose, having many similar structures.
  Quotations
  The skies are threatening to pour on the Apple solar farm but as the woman in-charge of the company’s environmental initiatives points out: the panels are still putting out some power. Apple is still greening its act.
  2014 July 25, Suzanne Goldenberg, “Apple eyes solar to power the cloud and iPhone 6 sapphire manufacturing”, in The Guardian‎
4. (computing) A group of coordinated servers.
5. (obsolete) Food; provisions; a meal.
6. (obsolete) A banquet; feast.
7. (obsolete) A fixed yearly amount (food, provisions, money, etc.) payable as rent or tax.
  Quotations
  If a man be bounden unto 1.s. in 100.l.£ to grant unto him the rent and farme of such a Mill.
  1642, J. Perkins, transl., Profitable Bk. (new ed.) xi. §751. 329
  All..Tythings shall stand at the old Farm, without any Increase.
  1700, J. Tyrrell, Gen. Hist. Eng. II. 814
  The most usual and customary feorm or rent..must be reserved yearly on such lease.
  1767, W. Blackstone, Comm. Laws Eng. II. 320
8. (historical) A fixed yearly sum accepted from a person as a composition for taxes or other moneys which he is empowered to collect; also, a fixed charge imposed on a town, county, etc., in respect of a tax or taxes to be collected within its limits.
  Quotations
  He [the Sheriff] paid into the Exchequer the fixed yearly sum which formed the farm of the shire.
  1876, E. A. Freeman, Hist. Norman Conquest V. xxiv. 439
9. (historical) The letting-out of public revenue to a ‘farmer’; the privilege of farming a tax or taxes.
  Quotations
  The first farm of postal income was made in 1672.
  1885, Edwards in Encycl. Brit. XIX. 580
10. The body of farmers of public revenues.
  Quotations
  They despair of a suppression of the Farm.
  1786, T. Jefferson, Writings (1859) I. 568
11. The condition of being let at a fixed rent; lease; a lease.
  Quotations
  It is a great willfullnes in any such Land-lord to refuse to make any longer farmes unto their Tennants.
  a1599, Spenser, View State Ireland in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) 58
  Thence the Leases so made were called Feormes or Farmes, which word signifieth Victuals.
  1647, N. Bacon, Hist. Disc. Govt. 75
  The words demise, lease, and to farm let, are the proper ones to constitute a lease.
  1818, W. Cruise, Digest Laws Eng. Real Prop. (ed. 2) IV. 68
12. (historical) A baby farm.
  Quotations
  Oliver’s sobs checked his utterance for some minutes; when he was on the point of beginning to relate how he had been brought up at the farm, and carried to the workhouse by Mr. Bumble, a peculiarly impatient little double-knock was heard at the street-door: and the servant, running upstairs, announced Mr. Grimwig.
  1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy’s Progress. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), London: Richard Bentley, […]

farm²

/fɑːɹm/

verb
third-person singular simple present farms, present participle farming, simple past and past participle farmed
1. (intransitive) To work on a farm, especially in the growing and harvesting of crops.
2. (transitive) To devote (land) to farming.
3. (transitive) To grow (a particular crop).
4. 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; to farm out.
  Quotations
  to farm their subjects and their duties toward these
  December 1, 1783, Edmund Burke, Speech on Mr. Fox's East-India Bill
5. (obsolete, transitive) To lease or let for an equivalent, e.g. land for a rent; to yield the use of to proceeds.
  Quotations
  We are enforced to farm our royal realm.
  1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iv]
6. (obsolete, transitive) To take at a certain rent or rate.
  Quotations
  In Paris it is stated that nearly half the birth-rate of the city finds its way to nurses who farm babies in the suburbs.
  1886, The Fortnightly, volume 46, page 530
7. (video games, chiefly online gaming) To engage in grinding (repetitive activity) in a particular area or against specific enemies for a particular drop or item.
  Quotations
  When you hit a black pudding with an iron weapon that does at least one point of damage there is a good chance it will divide into two black puddings of the same size (but half the hit points IIRC). […] When eaten black puddings confer several intrinsics so AC [armor class] is not the only potential benefit. […] Since black puddings are formidible[sic] monsters for an inexperienced character, farming is also a good way to die.
  2004, Doug Freyburger, “Pudding Farming Requires Care”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet)
  The practice of gold farming is controversial within gaming communities and violates the end user licensing agreements […]
  2010, Robert Alan Brookey, Hollywood Gamers, page 130

farm³

/fɑːɹm/

verb
third-person singular simple present farms, present participle farming, simple past and past participle farmed
1. (UK, dialectal) To cleanse; clean out; put in order; empty; empty out

Definition of "farm"

farm1

noun

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farm2

verb

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farm3

verb

farm¹

farm²

farm³