Definition of yard
1a : a small usually walled and often paved area open to the sky and adjacent to a building : courtb : the grounds of a building or group of buildings
2 : the grounds immediately surrounding a house that are usually covered with grass
3a : an enclosure for livestock (such as poultry)b (1) : an area with its buildings and facilities set aside for a particular business or activity (2) : an assembly or storage area (as for dry-docked boats)c : a system of tracks for storage and maintenance of cars and making up trains
4 : a locality in a forest where deer herd in winter
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Origin and Etymology of yard
Middle English, from Old English geard enclosure, yard; akin to Old High German gart enclosure, Latin hortus garden
Other Railroad Terms
yard
Definition of yard
1 : of, relating to, or employed in the yard surrounding a building yard light
2 : of, relating to, or employed in a railroad yard a yard engine
First Known Use of yard
15th century
Other Railroad Terms
First Known Use of yard
1758
yard
Definition of yard
1 : any of various units of measure: such asa : a unit of length equal in the U.S. to 0.9144 meter — see weight tableb : a unit of volume equal to a cubic yard
2a : a great length or quantity remembered yards of facts and figuresb slang : one hundred dollars
3 : a long spar tapered toward the ends to support and spread the head of a square sail, lateen, or lugsail
4 : a slender glass about three feet tall having a flared opening and a bulbous bottom; also : the amount it contains a yard of ale
the whole nine yards
: all of a related set of circumstances, conditions, or details who could learn the most about making records, about electronics and engineering, the whole nine yards — Stephen Stills —sometimes used adverbially with go to indicate an all-out effort
Origin and Etymology of yard
Middle English yerd, yerde “stick, pole, rod, spar supporting a sail, unit of measure,” going back to Old English gierd “stick, rod,” going back to Germanic *gazdjō (whence Old Frisian ierde “stick,” Old Saxon gerdia, Old High German gerta), derivative of *gazda- “stick, rod” (whence Old High German gart “stick,” Old Norse gaddr “goad, spike,” Gothic gazds “sting”), going back to dialectal Indo-European *ghazdh- “stick, something pointed” (whence Latin hasta “spear,” Middle Irish gat “withe, osier,” probably also gas “shoot, twig”), probably a loanword from an unknown source
YARD Defined for Kids
Definition of yard for Students
1 : an outdoor area next to a building that is often bordered (as by shrubs or fences) Children played in the yard.
2 : the grounds of a building a prison yard
3 : a fenced area for livestock a chicken yard
4 : an area set aside for a business or activity a navy yard
5 : a system of railroad tracks especially for keeping and repairing cars
Definition of yard for Students
1 : a measure of length equal to three feet or 36 inches (about 0.91 meter)
2 : a long pole pointed toward the ends that holds up and spreads the top of a sail
Learn More about yard
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See words that rhyme with yard Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for yard Spanish Central: Translation of yard Nglish: Translation of yard for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of yard for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about yard
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