farmer

[ fahr-mer ]

See synonyms for farmer on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who farms; person who operates a farm or cultivates land.
Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. an unsophisticated or ignorant person, especially one from a rural area.

Archaic. a person who undertakes some service, as the care of children or poor people, at a fixed price.
Archaic. a person who undertakes the collection of taxes, duties, etc., paying a fixed sum for the privilege of retaining them.
Cards.
- a variety of twenty-one played with a 45-card pack, the object being to obtain cards having a total worth of 16.
- the dealer in this game.

Origin of farmer

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fermer, fermour, from Anglo-French, Old French fermier “collector of revenue,” from Medieval Latin firmārius “one who holds lands or tenement for a fixed number of years or for life”; see origin at farm, -er²

usage note For farmer

The word farmer has been used as a derogatory term for an ignorant or unsophisticated person, especially one from a rural area (whether an actual farmer or not), since the 1800's. A couple of citations illustrate this. One early example is found in Artie by George Ade (1896): “I may be a farmer, but it takes better people than you to sling the bull con into me,” uttered by the title character Artie, who is a young office worker and not a farmer. A book review in The Guardian (August 21, 2001) shows a more recent use: “I worked in a couple of those bars where you hustle champagne. They were businessmen, they weren't naive farmers.”

Other words from farmer

farm·er·like, adjective
pro·farm·er, adjective
un·der·farm·er, noun

Words Nearby farmer

Other definitions for Farmer (2 of 2)

Farmer

[ fahr-mer ]

noun

Fannie (Mer·ritt) [mer-it], /ˈmɛr ɪt/, 1857–1915, U.S. authority on cooking.
James (Leonard), 1920–1999, U.S. civil rights leader; founder of CORE.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use farmer in a sentence

Residue from fiber extraction is sent to farmers for mulching.
How a Wasteland Shrub Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Fashion | Daniel Malloy | August 28, 2020 | Ozy
Such subseasonal forecasts can save farmers both time and money, since they don’t need to pay for irrigation when it’s not needed.
Improved three-week weather forecasts could save lives from disaster | Alexandra Witze | August 27, 2020 | Science News
I felt even more ridiculous doing the farmer’s walk exercise, where you’re just walking around, a kettlebell in each hand.
The Gym-Free Pandemic Workout: Kettlebells, Indian Clubs, Sandbags, Oh My! | Eugene Robinson | August 25, 2020 | Ozy
You could make clothes from it without dye and suppliers were often small, organic farmers.
Scientists Gene-Hack Cotton Plants to Make Them Every Color of the Rainbow | Jason Dorrier | August 11, 2020 | Singularity Hub
So, after the war, farmers were producing more food than was necessary.
How the Supermarket Helped America Win the Cold War (Ep. 386 Rebroadcast) | Stephen J. Dubner | August 6, 2020 | Freakonomics

“They are innocent of the charges leveled against them,” a statement issued by farmer, who also represents the accused, said.
Beaten By His Church for Being Gay | Justin Jones | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
In Season 4, he abandons his “Ricktatorship,” assuming the role of farmer.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero | Regina Lizik | October 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Humanitarian Paul farmer and World Bank Leader Jim Yong Kim captured the problem in a Washington Post article last week.
Why New York’s Ebola Case Will Hurt Infected Patients Everywhere | Abby Haglage | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Is playing ass-kicking Rick more fun than playing farmer Rick?
Andrew Lincoln Wants Rick to End With Johnny Cash and the Sunset | Melissa Leon | October 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
One local farmer muttered to me it was like living next door to an airport—but one with a difference.
U.S. Planes are Blowing the Hell out of ISIS at Kobani, But … | Jamie Dettmer | October 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
E was an Esquire, with pride on his brow; F was a farmer, and followed the plough.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17) | Various
And if he was worried about farmer Green's cat, why didn't he dig a hole for himself at once, and get out of harm's way?
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott Bailey
At that farmer Green's cat began to run up and down between the rows of vegetables.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott Bailey
farmer Green's cat had never liked Mr. Crow, for no particular reason.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott Bailey
The farmer told him it was six miles; "but," he added, "you must ride sharp, or you will get a wet jacket before you reach it."
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various

British Dictionary definitions for farmer (1 of 2)

farmer

/ (ˈfɑːmə) /

noun

a person who operates or manages a farm
a person who obtains the right to collect and retain a tax, rent, etc, or operate a franchise for a specified period on payment of a fee

a person who looks after a child for a fixed sum

British Dictionary definitions for Farmer (2 of 2)

Farmer

/ (ˈfɑːmə) /

noun

John. ?1565–1605, English madrigal composer and organist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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