Farm (?), n. [OE. ferme rent, lease, F. ferme, LL. firma, fr. L. firmus firm, fast, firmare to make firm or fast. See Firm, a. & n.]
1.
The rent of land, -- originally paid by reservation of part of its products.
[Obs.]
2.
The term or tenure of a lease of land for cultivation; a leasehold.
[Obs.]
It is great willfulness in landlords to make any longer farms to their tenants.
Spenser.
3.
The land held under lease and by payment of rent for the purpose of cultivation.
4.
Any tract of land devoted to agricultural purposes, under the management of a tenant or the owner.
⇒ In English the ideas of a lease, a term, and a rent, continue to be in a great degree inseparable, even from the popular meaning of a farm, as they are entirely so from the legal sense.
Burrill.
5.
A district of country leased (or farmed) out for the collection of the revenues of government.
The province was devided into twelve farms.
Burke.
6. O. Eng.Law
A lease of the imposts on particular goods; as, the sugar farm, the silk farm.
Whereas G. H. held the farm of sugars upon a rent of 10,000 marks per annum.
State Trials (1196).
© Webster 1913.
Farm (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Farmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Farming.]
1.
To lease or let for an equivalent, as land for a rent; to yield the use of to proceeds.
We are enforced to farm our royal realm.
Shak.
2.
To give up to another, as an estate, a business, the revenue, etc., on condition of receiving in return a percentage of what it yields; as, to farm the taxes.
To farm their subjects and their duties toward these.
Burke.
3.
To take at a certain rent or rate.
4.
To devote (land) to agriculture; to cultivate, as land; to till, as a farm.
To farm let, To let to farm, to lease on rent.
© Webster 1913.
Farm, v. i.
To engage in the business of tilling the soil; to labor as a farmer.
© Webster 1913.