farm-hand

A farm-hand feeds the chickens in the morning.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An agricultural laborer: "farm-hand" refers to a person who works on a farm, typically performing manual tasks such as planting, harvesting, or caring for livestock. The term emphasizes unskilled or semi-skilled physical work.

Usage Examples

• (A worker who assists with gathering crops.)
• (Agricultural laborers who reside near their workplace.)
• (A seasonal laborer doing farm chores.)

Advanced Usage

• "a seasonal farm-hand": a worker employed only during certain times of the year, such as planting or harvest season.

  • The vineyard employs seasonal farm-hands for the grape harvest. (Temporary workers brought in for a specific agricultural period.)

• "to work as a farm-hand": to be employed in manual farm labor.

  • He worked as a farm-hand before moving to the city. (He performed physical farm tasks for wages.)

Variants and Related Words

• Farmhand (n): alternative spelling (one word, no hyphen) — identical meaning.

  • The farmhand milked the cows every morning. (The agricultural laborer performed daily chores.)

• Farmworker (n): a more general term for any person who works on a farm, including skilled positions.

  • Farmworkers often specialize in crop management. (Agricultural laborers with specific expertise.)

Synonyms

• Laborer: a person who does physical work, especially in agriculture.
• Field hand: a worker who performs tasks in the fields (often used in historical contexts).
• Ranch hand: a worker on a cattle ranch (similar role but specific to livestock).

Related Idioms

• "to be a farm-hand": used metaphorically to mean someone who does hard, simple work.

  • He's just a farm-hand in the corporate world, doing the manual tasks others avoid. (A person who performs basic, unskilled labor.)

• "hired hand": a general term for a paid worker, often on a farm.

  • The ranch needed a few hired hands for the roundup. (Temporary workers brought in for a specific job.)