farmer-general

[ fahr-mer-jen-er-uhl ]

noun,plural farm·ers-gen·er·al.
  1. (in France, under the old monarchy) a member of a company of capitalists that farmed certain taxes.

Origin of farmer-general

1
1705–15; translation of French fermier-général

Other words from farmer-general

  • far·mer-gen·er·al·ship, noun

Words Nearby farmer-general

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

How to use farmer-general in a sentence

  • Her husband held the lucrative post of farmer-general to the king, and besides inherited large estates.

    Letters To Eugenia | Paul Henri Thiry Holbach
  • The latter, it transpired, was a wealthy farmer-general, who had a fancy for playing the part of Mcenas.

    Queens of the French Stage | H. Noel Williams
  • What matters it, since he who was truly a father to her was the farmer-general, Lenormant de Tourneheim.

  • Bodard lived in the fine house in the Place Vendôme which the farmer-general Dangé had not long since been compelled to quit.

  • The same officers also attached their own boxes for the receipt of customs to the gates, in lieu of those of the farmer-general.

British Dictionary definitions for farmer-general

farmer-general

nounplural farmers-general
  1. (in France before 1789) a member of a group allowed to farm certain taxes

Derived forms of farmer-general

  • farmer-generalship, noun

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