yard Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
    pace.
  2. noun the enclosed land around a house or other building
    curtilage; grounds.
    • it was a small house with almost no yard
  3. noun a tract of land enclosed for particular activities (sometimes paved and usually associated with buildings)
    • they opened a repair yard on the edge of town
  4. noun the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
    G; thou; thousand; grand; M; chiliad; one thousand; K; 1000.
  5. noun a unit of volume (as for sand or gravel)
    cubic yard.
  6. noun a tract of land where logs are accumulated
  7. noun an area having a network of railway tracks and sidings for storage and maintenance of cars and engines
    railyard; railway yard.
  8. noun a long horizontal spar tapered at the end and used to support and spread a square sail or lateen
  9. noun an enclosure for animals (as chicken or livestock)

WordNet

Yard noun
Etymology
OE. yerd, AS. gierd, gyrd, a rod, tick, 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.
Definitions
  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.
Yard noun
Etymology
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. garr yard, house, Sw. gård, Dan. gard, Goth. gards a house, garda sheepfold, L. hortus garden, Gr. an inclosure. Cf. Court, Garden, Garth, Horticulture, Orchard.
Definitions
  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.
Yard transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a yard; as, to yard cows.

Webster 1913