noun
- Obsolete a fixed sum payable at regular intervals, as rent or taxes
- the letting out, for a fixed amount, of the collection of taxes, with the privilege of keeping all that is collected
- the condition of being let out at a fixed rent
- a district of a country leased out by a government for the collection of taxes
- a piece of land (with house, barns, etc.) on which crops or animals are raised: orig., such land let out to tenants
- any place where certain things are raised: a tract of water for raising fish is a fish farm
- Sports a minor-league team, esp. a baseball team, having an agreement with a major-league team to train its young or inexperienced players
Origin:
ME < OFr ferme < ML firma, fixed payment, farm < firmare, to farm, lease, orig., to make a contract < L, to make firm, secure < firmus, firm
intransitive verb
to work on or operate a farm; raise crops or animals on a farm