wind farm
B2Technical, Environmental, Business, News
Definition
Meaning
A group of wind turbines in a location used to generate electricity from wind power.
An industrial-scale installation for harvesting renewable energy; can also refer conceptually to the industry, investment, or environmental strategy related to such installations.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Compound noun where 'wind' modifies 'farm' metaphorically (like a farm produces crops, a wind farm produces energy). Often used in discussions about renewable energy, climate policy, and land use.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. 'Wind park' is a less common alternative, slightly more frequent in American technical contexts.
Connotations
Generally neutral/positive in environmental contexts; can have negative connotations in debates about landscape visual impact, noise, or wildlife (e.g., bird strikes).
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties due to the global nature of the energy industry.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[The/An] [ADJ] wind farm [VERB] ...Wind farms [VERB] ...[Location] is home to a wind farm.Plans for a wind farm in [location].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The company diversified its portfolio by investing in a North Sea wind farm.
Academic
The study evaluates the capacity factor and grid integration challenges of offshore wind farms.
Everyday
We could see the wind farm on the hills from the motorway.
Technical
The wind farm's SCADA system monitors the performance of each turbine in real-time.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The area is to be wind-farmed, pending council approval.
- They plan to wind-farm the entire estuary.
American English
- The company wants to wind-farm the ridge line.
- The valley was wind-farmed last year.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- The wind-farm proposal faced local opposition.
- We discussed wind-farm subsidies.
American English
- The wind-farm development company held a meeting.
- There are new wind-farm regulations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- There is a new wind farm near the coast.
- The wind farm has many big turbines.
- The government approved the construction of a large wind farm in Scotland.
- Some people think wind farms are ugly, but they produce clean energy.
- Despite local objections, the wind farm project went ahead due to its potential economic benefits.
- The efficiency of an offshore wind farm is generally higher than that of an onshore one.
- The decommissioning strategy for the wind farm includes detailed plans for turbine recycling and site restoration.
- Critics argue that the intermittency of wind farms necessitates costly investment in grid-scale battery storage.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a farm, but instead of growing corn, its tall turbines 'grow' electricity from the wind.
Conceptual Metaphor
ENERGY PRODUCTION IS AGRICULTURE (harvesting, farming, fields of turbines).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid calquing as '*ветряная ферма*'. The standard term is 'ветряная электростанция' (ветровая электростанция) or 'ветропарк'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'windmill farm' (windmills are traditional, for grinding; turbines are modern, for electricity).
- Confusing 'wind farm' (the installation) with 'wind power' (the general concept).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of a wind farm?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a compound noun written as two separate words: 'wind farm'.
Onshore wind farms are located on land, while offshore wind farms are built in bodies of water, usually oceans or large lakes.
Yes, though less common. To 'wind-farm' means to develop or use land for wind farms (e.g., 'The hills have been wind-farmed').
It is the standard term used across formal (academic, business, policy) and informal contexts when referring to groups of electricity-generating wind turbines.