farm
n. countablen. a piece of land where people grow food, like vegetables, or raise animals, like cows and chickens.
n. an area of land, including its buildings, used for growing crops or raising animals for food.
Cows and chickens live on the farm.
My uncle owns a small farm where he grows corn and raises pigs.
The family converted their traditional dairy farm into an organic operation, focusing on sustainable practices and selling directly to local consumers.
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”).
From Middle English fermen, from Anglo-Norman fermer (“to let out for a fixed payment, lease, rent”) ultimately from the same Old English source as Etymology 1. Compare Old English feormian (“to feed, supply with food, sustain”).
From Middle English fermen, from Old English feormian (“to clean, cleanse”), from Proto-West Germanic *furbēn (“to clean, polish, buff”). Doublet of furbish.