Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Yard?

\Yard\, n. (Zo["o]l.) A place where moose or deer herd together in winter for pasture, protection, etc.
\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}. {Golden Yard}, or {Yard 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\, 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. gar[eth]r yard, house, Sw. g[*a]rd, 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. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried on; as, a dockyard; a shipyard. {Liberty of the yard}, a liberty, granted to persons imprisoned for debt, of walking in the yard, or within any other limits prescribed by law, on their giving bond not to go beyond those limits. {Prison yard}, an inclosure about a prison, or attached to it. {Yard grass} (Bot.), a low-growing grass ({Eleusine Indica}) having digitate spikes. It is common in dooryards, and like places, especially in the Southern United States. Called also {crab grass}. {Yard of land}. See {Yardland}.
\Yard\, v. t. To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a yard; as, to yard cows.