a person who operates a farm
"The farmer drove his tractor out to check on the crops before breakfast."
United States civil rights leader who in 1942 founded the Congress of Racial Equality (born in 1920)
"The farmer, a prominent US civil rights leader who founded the Congress of Racial Equality in 1942, addressed the crowd about voting rights."
an expert on cooking whose cookbook has undergone many editions (1857-1915)
"No, you can't ask Mr. Farmer for a recipe; his fame came from being the leading expert on culinary arts during the late nineteenth century before he retired to write cookbooks that have seen countless editions since 1857."
A person who works the land and/or who keeps livestock, especially on a farm.
"The local farmer greeted us warmly as we drove past his fields filled with cattle and crops."
In plain English: A farmer is someone who grows crops and raises animals to sell for food.
"The farmer harvested the corn before the rain arrived."
Usage: A farmer is an individual who cultivates crops or raises animals as their primary occupation. Use this term to describe anyone managing agricultural production, regardless of whether they own the land or work for someone else.
A surname.
"My neighbor, Farmer Jones, won first prize at the county fair again this year."
The word "farmer" comes from the Middle English term fermour, which originally referred to a steward or tax collector rather than someone who grew crops. This meaning evolved over time as the role shifted toward managing land for rent before settling into its modern definition of an agricultural worker.