Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The business carried on by a baby-farmer.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- The business of keeping a baby farm.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The business of keeping a
baby farm .
Etymologies
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Examples
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vendingmachine commented on the word baby farming
Baby farming is the historical practice of accepting custody of an infant or child in exchange for payment in late-Victorian Britain and, less commonly, in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
Though baby farmers were paid in the understanding that care would be provided, the term baby farmer was used as an insult, and improper treatment was usually implied. The practice of baby farming predated the use of foster care in the 18th century.
April 14, 2025