farm

name

1. Broadwater Farm, an area of Tottenham, North London, England.

   “And before you mention the plans to fix up the Farm, let me tell you, all that regeneration talk is just about bulldozing the place and shipping us all out to God knows where.”

noun

Etymology: Inherited from Middle English ferme, farme (“rent, revenue, produce, factor, stewardship, meal, feast”), influenced by Anglo-Norman ferme (“rent, lease, farm”), from Medieval Latin ferma, firma. There is debate as to whether Medieval Latin acquired this term from Old English feorm (“rent, provision, supplies, feast”), from Proto-Germanic *fermō, *firhuma- (“means of living, subsistence”), from Proto-Germanic *ferhwō (“life force, body, being”), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷ- (“life, force, strength, tree”); or from Latin firmus (“solid, secure”), from Proto-Italic *fermos, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer-mo-s (“holding”), from the root *dʰer- (“to hold”). If the former etymology is correct, the term is related to Old English feorh (“life, spirit”), Icelandic fjör (“life, vitality, vigour, animation”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍈𐌿𐍃 (fairƕus, “the world”). Compare also Old English feormehām (“farm”), feormere (“purveyor, supplier, grocer”). Cognate with Scots ferm (“rent, farm”).

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. A location used for an industrial purpose, having many similar structures.

   “antenna farm; fuel farm; solar farm; wind farm”

   “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.”

4. A group of coordinated servers.

   “a render farm”

   “a server farm”

5. Food; provisions; a meal.
6. A banquet; feast.
7. A fixed yearly amount (food, provisions, money, etc.) payable as rent or tax.

   “If a man be bounden unto 1.s. in 100.l.£ to grant unto him the rent and farme of such a Mill.”

   “All..Tythings shall stand at the old Farm, without any Increase.”

8. 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.

   “He [the Sheriff] paid into the Exchequer the fixed yearly sum which formed the farm of the shire.”

9. The letting-out of public revenue to a ‘farmer’; the privilege of farming a tax or taxes.

   “The first farm of postal income was made in 1672.”

10. The body of farmers of public revenues.

    “They despair of a suppression of the Farm.”

11. The condition of being let at a fixed rent; lease; a lease.

    “It is a great willfullnes in any such Land-lord to refuse to make any longer farmes unto their Tennants.”

    “Thence the Leases so made were called Feormes or Farmes, which word signifieth Victuals.”

12. A baby farm.

    “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.”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English fermen, from Old English feormian (“to clean, cleanse”), from Proto-West Germanic *furbēn (“to clean, polish, buff”). Doublet of furbish.

1. To cleanse; clean out; put in order; empty; empty out

   “Farm out the stable and pigsty.”