farm out
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Verb (transitive): 1. To delegate or subcontract work to another party, typically an external one: The core meaning involves arranging for work to be done by others, often because the primary entity lacks capacity or specializes in management. 2. To send out or assign (work, a worker, or a player): This can apply to sending an employee to work elsewhere or, in sports, sending a player to a minor league team for development.
Usage and Examples
- Delegating/Subcontracting Work:
- The software company decided to farm out the graphic design work to a specialized agency.
- We don't have the machinery, so we farm out the manufacturing of these components.
- Sending a Worker or Player:
- The consultant was farmed out to the company's branch office for six months.
- The young baseball pitcher was farmed out to the minor leagues to gain more experience.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- The phrasal verb often carries a connotation of the work being sent away from a central or primary location/entity.
- It is commonly used in business and project management contexts to describe outsourcing.
- In a sports context (especially North American sports like baseball), "to farm out" is a standard term for sending an athlete to a developmental or minor league team.
Variants and Related Words
- Outsource (verb): A close synonym, specifically for contracting work to an external supplier. ()
- Contract out (phrasal verb): Very similar in meaning to "farm out" in the context of work. ()
- Subcontract (verb): To hire a third party to perform part of the work from a primary contract.
Synonyms
- Delegate
- Outsource
- Subcontract
- Contract out
- Hire out
Antonyms
- Keep in-house
- Insource
- Retain
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Hire out: To make one's services or property available for temporary use in return for payment. This is closely related to one sense of "farm out."
- He hires out his truck for local deliveries.
Verb
- grant the services of or the temporary use of, for a fee
- We rent out our apartment to tourists every year
- He hired himself out as a cook
- arranged for contracted work to be done by others