prep. Ere; before. [ Obs. ] Sylvester. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ Sp. ] (Bot.) An herb; a plant. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ This word is much used in compound names of plants in Spanish; as, yerba buena [ Sp., a good herb ], a name applied in Spain to several kinds of mint (Mentha sativa, Mentha viridis, etc.), but in California universally applied to a common, sweet-scented labiate plant (Micromeria Douglasii). [ 1913 Webster ]
Yerba dol osa. [ Sp., herb of the she-bear. ]
Yerba mansa. [ Sp., a mild herb, soft herb. ]
Yerba reuma. [ Cf. Sp. reuma rheum, rheumatism. ]
n. See 1st & 2d Yard. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A sudden or quick thrust or motion; a jerk. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
Their wounded steeds . . .
Yerk out their armed heels at their dead masters. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i.
They flirt, they yerk, they backward . . . fling. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ OE. &yogh_;ern, &yogh_;eorne, AS. georn desirous, eager. See Yearn to long. ] Eager; brisk; quick; active. [ Obs. ] “Her song . . . loud and yern.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i. See 3d Yearn. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. [ OE. &yogh_;eorne. See Yern, a. ] Eagerly; briskly; quickly. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]
My hands and my tongue go so yerne. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. Dan. jordnöd, Sw. jordnöt, earthnut. Cf. Jarnut. ] An earthnut, or groundnut. See Groundnut