Farmer-general

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Farmer \Farm"er\ (f[aum]rm"[~e]r), n. [Cf. F. fermier.]
     One who farms; as:
     (a) One who hires and cultivates a farm; a cultivator of
         leased ground; a tenant. --Smart.
     (b) One who is devoted to the tillage of the soil; one who
         cultivates a farm; an agriculturist; a husbandman.


     (c) One who takes taxes, customs, excise, or other duties, to
         collect, either paying a fixed annuual rent for the
         privilege; as, a farmer of the revenues.
     (d) (Mining) The lord of the field, or one who farms the lot
         and cope of the crown.
         [1913 Webster]
  
     {Farmer-general} [F. fermier-general], one to whom the right
        of levying certain taxes, in a particular district, was
        farmed out, under the former French monarchy, for a given
        sum paid down.
  
     {Farmers' satin}, a light material of cotton and worsted,
        used for coat linings. --McElrath.
  
     {The king's farmer} (O. Eng. Law), one to whom the collection
        of a royal revenue was farmed out. --Burrill.
        [1913 Webster]