baby farm

English

Alternative forms

• baby-farm

Noun

baby farm (plural baby farms)

1. (informal) An institution that is paid to care for unwanted children, often doubling as an orphanage or home for unwed mothers.

   Synonym: baby factory

   • 2000, Peter Watt, Cry of the Curlew:

     But the bastard son of Fiona and Michael Duffy had been sent to a baby farm.

   • 2005, Dennis W. Shepherd, The Papaw Diary, page 363:

     As he did a little pamphlet fell out. It was kind of pink in color. At the top it said "Rangsit Home for Babies." It was a little booklet that told all about the baby farm at Rangsit. It was printed by the government of the country where Rangsit was.

   • 2012, Daniel M. Avery, Tales of a Country Obstetrician:

     The FBI and police handled the investigation and found where she had delivered the baby, which was a black market baby farm preying on young pregnant women who did not want to keep their babies.

   • 2013, Carol J Larson, The Baby Farm:

     “Her mother ran a baby farm before she became a whore," Rosemary said. "Put Sage and three other children in here when she got sick. Sage know all about that life. After all, she lived it."

Usage notes

• The term baby farm carries the connotation of a poor standard of care for the children it houses and nourishes.

References

• “baby farm”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.