Golden Yard, orYard and Ell(Astron.), a popular name of the three stars in the belt of Orion. Under yard[i. e., under the rod], under contract. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Yard
(Yard), n. [OE. yard, yerd, AS. geard; akin to OFries. garda garden, OS. gardo garden, gard yard, D. gaard garden, G. garten, OHG. garto garden, gari inclosure, Icel. garðr yard, house, Sw. gård, Dan. gaard, Goth. gards a house, garda sheepfold, L. hortus garden, Gr. cho`rtos an inclosure. Cf. Court, Garden, Garth, Horticulture, Orchard.]

1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of, or around, a house or barn; as, a courtyard; a cowyard; a barnyard.

A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks
In which she had a cock, hight chanticleer.
Chaucer.

2. Humorously, a Yankee.

We might have withheld our political noodles
From knocking their heads against hot Yankee- Doodles.
Moore.

Yankeeism
(Yan"kee*ism) n. A Yankee idiom, word, custom, or the like. Lowell.

Yaourt
(||Yaourt) n. [Turk. yoghurt.] A fermented drink, or milk beer, made by the Turks.

Yap
(Yap) v. i. [Icel. gjalpa; akin to yelp. Cf. Yaup.] To bark; to yelp. L'Estrange.

Yap
(Yap) n. A bark; a yelp.

Yapock
(Ya"pock) n. [Probably from the river Oyapok, between French Guiana and Brazil.] (Zoöl.) A South American aquatic opossum (Chironectes variegatus) found in Guiana and Brazil. Its hind feet are webbed, and its fore feet do not have an opposable thumb for climbing. Called also water opossum. [Written also yapack.]

Yapon
(Ya"pon) n. (Bot.) Same as Yaupon.

Yarage
(Yar"age) n. [See Yare, a.] (Naut.) The power of moving, or being managed, at sea; — said with reference to a ship. Sir T. North.

Yard
(Yard) n. [OE. yerd, AS. gierd, gyrd, a rod, stick, a measure, a yard; akin to OFries. ierde, OS. gerda, D. garde, G. gerte, OHG. gartia, gerta, gart, Icel. gaddr a goad, sting, Goth. gazds, and probably to L. hasta a spear. Cf. Gad, n., Gird, n., Gride, v. i., Hastate.]

1. A rod; a stick; a staff. [Obs.] P. Plowman.

If men smote it with a yerde.
Chaucer.

2. A branch; a twig. [Obs.]

The bitter frosts with the sleet and rain
Destroyed hath the green in every yerd.
Chaucer.

3. A long piece of timber, as a rafter, etc. [Obs.]

4. A measure of length, equaling three feet, or thirty-six inches, being the standard of English and American measure.

5. The penis.

6. (Naut.) A long piece of timber, nearly cylindrical, tapering toward the ends, and designed to support and extend a square sail. A yard is usually hung by the center to the mast. See Illust. of Ship.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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