*yard*

n. 1. [ OF. bayard, baiart, bay horse; bai bay + -ard. See Bay, a., and -ard. ] Properly, a bay horse, but often any horse. Commonly in the phrase blind bayard, an old blind horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blind bayard moves the mill. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ Cf. F. bayeur, fr. bayer to gape. ] A stupid, clownish fellow. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Blind; stupid. [ Obs. ] “A formal and bayardly round of duties.” Goodman. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Russ. boiárin'. ] A member of a Russian aristocratic order abolished by Peter the Great. Also, one of a privileged class in Roumania. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ English writers sometimes call Russian landed proprietors boyars. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A place where bricks are made, especially an inclosed place. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A piece of leather crossing the breast, used by the men who drag sledges in coal mines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The ground adjoining a church, in which the dead are buried; a cemetery. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like graves in the holy churchyard. Shak.

Syn. -- Burial place; burying ground; graveyard; necropolis; cemetery; God's acre. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A court or inclosure attached to a house. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard or storage place for all sorts of naval stores and timber for shipbuilding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard in front of a house or around the door of a house.

n. A yard where dung is collected. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The yard or inclosure attached to a barn, or the space inclosed by the farm buildings. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) The lowermost yard on the foremast. [ See Illust. of Ship. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A buffoon. See Goliard. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard or inclosure for the interment of the dead; a cemetery. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hale, v. t. + yard. ] (Naut.) A rope or tackle for hoisting or lowering yards, sails, flags, etc. [ Written also halliard, haulyard. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an enclosed yard for keeping poultry.
Syn. -- chicken yard, chicken run, fowl run. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A field where hops are raised. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An orchard. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The yard adjoining an inn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a field where junk is collected and stored for resale. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A churchyard. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. lanière thong, strap, OF. lasniere, fr. lasne strap, thong, L. lacinia lappet. flap, edge of a garment. Cf. Lanier. ] [ Written also laniard. ] 1. (Naut.) A short piece of rope or line for fastening something in ships; as, the lanyards of the gun ports, of the buoy, and the like; esp., pieces passing through the dead-eyes, and used to extend shrouds, stays, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mil.) A strong cord, about twelve feet long, with an iron hook at one end a handle at the other, used in firing cannon with a friction tube. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Naut.) The yard on which the mainsail is extended, supported by the mainmast. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. metgeard. See Mete to measure, and Yard stick. ] A yard, staff, or rod, used as a measure. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Pannier. [ Obs. ] Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] A native or inhabitant of Savoy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard, place, or inclosure where ships are built or repaired. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard or inclosure for stacks of hay or grain. A. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So named from a place in London called the Steelyard, which was a yard in which steel was sold. ] A form of balance in which the body to be weighed is suspended from the shorter arm of a lever, which turns on a fulcrum, and a counterpoise is caused to slide upon the longer arm to produce equilibrium, its place upon this arm (which is notched or graduated) indicating the weight; a Roman balance; -- very commonly used also in the plural form, steelyards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An inclosure where the tanning of leather is carried on; a tannery. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yard or place for tilting. “The tilt-yard of Templestowe.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ For OE. winyard, AS. wīngeard; influenced by E. vine. See Wine, and Yard an inclosure. ] An inclosure or yard for grapevines; a plantation of vines producing grapes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who cultivates a vineyard. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Prov. E. & Scot. whingar, whinger; perhaps from AS. winn contention, war + geard, gyrd, a staff, rod, yard; or cf. AS. hwīnan to whistle, E. whine. ] 1. A sword, or hanger. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ From the shape of the bill. ] (Zool.) (a) The shoveler. [ Prov. Eng. ] (b) The poachard. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]