farmer

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Dialect · Slang

n. a regular student or worker who does not have a special, high-level scholarship.

n. a person who did not receive a prestigious government or corporate scholarship; used to distinguish regular employees from 'scholars'.

“In his company, he felt like a farmer because he wasn't on the fast-track scholarship programme.”

“The colloquial distinction between 'scholars' and 'farmers' in the civil service highlights deep-seated perceptions of meritocracy and social mobility.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Law Archaic · Formal · Technical

n. a person in the past who paid for the right to collect taxes for the government.

n. a person who pays a fixed sum for the privilege of collecting and retaining taxes or other public revenues.

“The king appointed a farmer to collect the customs duties at the busy port.”

“The historical practice of tax farming often led to corruption, as the farmer sought to extract more from the populace than was legally required.”