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. [ 1913 Webster ]

If men smote it with a yerde. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A branch; a twig. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The bitter frosts with the sleet and rain
Destroyed hath the green in every yerd. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A long piece of timber, as a rafter, etc. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A measure of length, equaling three feet, or thirty-six inches, being the standard of English and American measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The penis. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Zool.) A place where moose or deer herd together in winter for pasture, protection, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of, or around, a house or barn; as, a courtyard; a cowyard; a barnyard. [ 1913 Webster ]

A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks
In which she had a cock, hight chanticleer. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried on; as, a dockyard; a shipyard. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a yard; as, to yard cows. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. distance measured in yards. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Naut.) Either half of a square-rigged vessel's yard{ 6 }, from the center or mast to the end. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Ships are said to be yardarm and yardarm when so near as to touch, or interlock yards. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) The portion of a yard{ 6 } outboard of the slings, often called the outer quarter. [ RH ]

A yard{ 6 } is considered to have four unequal quarters, two quarters extending from the mast to the slings on each side, and two smaller outer quarters outboard of the slings. [ RH ]

n.; pl. Yardfuls As much as a yard will contain; enough to fill a yard. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A member of an international gang of Jamaican criminals who sell drugs and violence. “A much publicized raid on a yardie stronghold had first been simulated at Riot City.” [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (O. Eng. Law) A measure of land of uncertain quantity, varying from fifteen to forty acres; a virgate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (football) Any of the lines parallel to the goal lines indicating distance from the goal line on a football the field; as, the twenty-five yardline. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A stick three feet, or a yard, in length, used as a measure of distance, cloth, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]