The AI-powered English dictionary
plural yards
A small, usually uncultivated area adjoining or (now especially) within the precincts of a house or other building. quotations examples
'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.
1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
(US, Canada, Australia) The property surrounding one's house, typically dominated by one's lawn. examples
An enclosed area designated for a specific purpose, e.g. on farms, railways etc. quotations examples
A little further on, to the right, was a large garage, where the charabancs stood, half in and half out of the yard.
1931, Francis Beeding, “2/2”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps
Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases.
1951 February, “Notes and News: Lynton & Barnstaple Remains”, in Railway Magazine, page 136
A place where moose or deer herd together in winter for pasture, protection, etc. examples
(Jamaica, MLE) One’s house or home. quotations examples
Man’s devilish cunt, tell me nutting about friends, that’s deadCuz I run up in yards,No vest, tryna ching man’s chestAnd leave him dead
2020 December 15, “We Paid (Remix)”, performed by #GS28 Goose, 0:15–0:21
third-person singular simple present yards, present participle yarding, simple past and past participle yarded
(transitive) To confine to a yard. quotations examples
As they reached the door, Bose, having yarded the cows, was stealing around the corner of the pig-sty, and making for the woods.
1893, Elijah Kellogg, Good old times, or, Grandfather's struggles for a homestead
The sheep were straggling in a manner that meant walking work to round them, and he supposed he would have to yard them tonight, if she didn't liven up.
1902, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Bush Studies (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 14
plural yards or (UK colloquial) yard
A unit of length equal to 3 feet in the US customary and British imperial systems of measurement, equal to precisely 0.9144 m since 1959 (US) or 1963 (UK). quotations
Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn't backed more'n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn't help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.
(informal) Ellipsis of square yard.. a unit of area (common with textiles) examples
(informal) Ellipsis of cubic yard.. a unit of volume (common in mining and earthmoving) examples
Units of similar composition or length in other systems. examples
(nautical) Any spar carried aloft.
(nautical) A long tapered timber hung on a mast to which is bent a sail, and may be further qualified as a square, lateen, or lug yard. The first is hung at right angles to the mast, the latter two hang obliquely. examples
(obsolete) A branch, twig, or shoot.
(obsolete) A staff, rod, or stick.
(obsolete, medicine) A penis. quotations
there were some people found who tooke pleasure to unhood the end of their yard, and to cut off the fore-skinne after the manner of the Mahometans and Jewes […].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […]
[T]he testicles are quite exposed, but they wrap a piece of cloth or leafe round the yard which they tye up to the belly to a cord or bandage which they wear round the waist just under the short ribbs and over the belly and so tight that it was a wonder to us how they could endure it.
1774, James Cook, The Journals, Second Voyage, 23 July
(US, slang, uncommon) 100 dollars.
(obsolete) The yardland, an obsolete English unit of land roughly understood as 30 acres. quotations
You must note, that two Fardells of Land make a Nooke of Land, and two Nookes make halfe a Yard of Land.
a. 1634, W. Noye, The Complete Lawyer, section 57
(obsolete) The rod, a surveying unit of (once) 15 or (now) 16+1⁄2 feet.
(obsolete) The rood, area bound by a square rod, 1⁄4 acre.
(intransitive, humorous) To move a yard at a time, as opposed to inching along. quotations examples
He inched his way up the corridor as if he would rather be yarding his way down it, which was true.
1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 62
(finance) 109, A short scale billion; a long scale thousand millions or milliard. examples