yard

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English geard enclosure, yard; akin to Old High German gart enclosure, Latin hortus garden Date: before 12th century 1. a. a small usually walled and often paved area open to the sky and adjacent to a building ; court b. the grounds of a building or group of buildings 2. the grounds immediately surrounding a house that are usually covered with grass 3. a. an enclosure for livestock (as poultry) b. (1) an area with its buildings and facilities set aside for a particular business or activity (2) an assembly or storage area (as for dry-docked boats) c. a system of tracks for storage and maintenance of cars and making up trains 4. a locality in a forest where deer herd in winter II. adjective Date: 15th century 1. of, relating to, or employed in the yard surrounding a building <

yard light

> 2. of, relating to, or employed in a railroad yard <

a yard engine

> III. verb Date: 1758 transitive verb 1. to drive into or confine in a restricted area ; herd, pen 2. to deliver to or store in a yard intransitive verb to congregate in or as if in a yard IV. noun Etymology: Middle English yarde, from Old English gierd twig, measure, yard; akin to Old High German gart stick, Latin hasta spear Date: before 12th century 1. any of various units of measure: as a. a unit of length equal in the United States to 0.9144 meter — see weight table b. a unit of volume equal to a cubic yard 2. a. a great length or quantity <

remembered yards of facts and figures

> b. slang one hundred dollars 3. a long spar tapered toward the ends to support and spread the head of a square sail, lateen, or lugsail 4. a slender horn-shaped glass about three feet tall; also the amount it contains <

a yard of ale

>