poor farm
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of poor farm
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said the tradition of covering faces with soot derived from poor farm workers in the 1400s who would use it to disguise themselves so they could beg - which was illegal at the time.
From BBC • May 1, 2021
The discovery of a dragon’s egg puts a poor farm boy on the path to his destiny to be a Dragon Rider and defeat an evil king.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2020
The Angels’ poor farm system has been partially restocked by Dipoto, and he signed starting pitchers Wilson, Santiago, Andrew Heaney and Tyler Skaggs while rebuilding the bullpen around Huston Street and Joe Smith.
From Washington Times • Jul. 2, 2015
But today, having worked his way from being a poor farm boy in the mountains to Norway’s wealthiest resident, he is not so sure independence was such a good idea.
From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2014
The only charity Lyddie dreaded more than Aunt Clarissa’s was that of the township’s poor farm.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
