farm out
farm out · farms out · farmed out · farming out
jobben
To subcontract to anotherTo subcontract (a task, responsibility, etc.) to another; to outsource.
» The company decided to farm out the maintenance to a subcontractor.
Meaning
2 senses(idiomatic, transitive)To subcontract (a task, responsibility, etc.) to another; to outsource.
Near-synonym: sub out
(Northern England)To clear or clean out; empty out.
Farm out the stable and pigsty.
More definitions
- arranged for contracted work to be done by others
- grant the services of or the temporary use of, for a fee
Examples
2 sentencesThe company decided to farm out the maintenance to a subcontractor.
The following May, she was farmed out on the first of four work details as a servant in white households.
Origin
From farm + out. From farm (“to cleanse, clean”) + out.Forms
farms out, farming out, farmed out, farmed out| Base form | farm out · to farm out |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | farms out |
| Present participle | farming out |
| Past simple | farmed out |
| Past participle | farmed out |
irregular
Phrasal verbs
2 phrasal verbsSynonyms
5 synonymsClose in meaning
- arranged for contracted work to be done by others:subcontractjob
- grant the services of or the temporary use of, for a fee:hire outrent out
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedfarmout
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb