farm out

farm  (färm)

n.

1. A tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production.

2.

a. A tract of land devoted to the raising and breeding of domestic animals.

b. An area of water devoted to the raising, breeding, or production of a specific aquatic animal: a trout farm; an oyster farm.

3. An area of land devoted to the storage of a commodity or the emplacement of a group of devices: a tank farm; an antenna farm.

4. Baseball A minor-league club affiliated with a major-league club for the training of recruits and the maintenance of temporarily unneeded players.

5. Obsolete

a. The system of leasing out the rights of collecting and retaining taxes in a certain district.

b. A district so leased.

v. farmed, farm·ing, farms

v.tr.

1. To cultivate or produce a crop on.

2. To pay a fixed sum in order to have the right to collect and retain profits from (a business, for example).

3. To turn over (a business, for example) to another in return for the payment of a fixed sum.

v.intr.

To engage in farming.

Phrasal Verb:

farm out

1. To send (work, for example) from a central point to be done elsewhere.

2. Baseball To assign (a player) to a minor-league team.

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[Middle English, lease, leased property, from Old French ferme, from Medieval Latin firma, fixed payment, from Latin firmre, to establish, from firmus, firm; see dher- in Indo-European roots.]

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farm out

Verb

1. to send (work) to be done by another person or firm

2. (of the state) to put a child into the care of a private individual

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	farm out - arranged for contracted work to be done by others subcontract, job hire, employ, engage - engage or hire for work; "They hired two new secretaries in the department"; "How many people has she employed?"
	2.	farm out - grant the services of or the temporary use of, for a fee; "We rent out our apartment to tourists every year"; "He hired himself out as a cook" hire out, rent out loan, lend - give temporarily; let have for a limited time; "I will lend you my car"; "loan me some money"