noun

yard

YAHD

noun

An outdoor area next to or enclosed by a building, often with a lawn or garden.

"The kids spent the whole afternoon playing in the back yard."

"She hung the washing out in the yard to dry."

A fenced area used for a specific purpose, such as storage or livestock.

"The old railway yard was full of rusting freight cars."

A unit of length equal to three feet (about 0.914 metres).

"He measured out ten yards of fabric for the curtains."

verb

To confine an animal or vehicle to a yard.

"The cattle were yarded overnight before the market."

How to Use Yard

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither an enclosed outdoor space around a building, or the measurement unit (3 feet).

UK vs US

In UK slang, "the Yard" refers to Scotland Yard, headquarters of London's Metropolitan Police.

Common pairings

back yard front yard a yard of fabric railway yard

Word Forms

yarded past tense, yarded past tense, yards plural, yards plural, yards singular, yards singular

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The kids spent the whole afternoon playing in the back _____.

Etymology

From Old English ġeard ("enclosure, garden, fence"), from a very old Germanic root meaning "to enclose" — the same root that gives us "garden" and "garth."

Rhymes for yard

bayard lanyard vineyard junkyard backyard farmyard barnyard shipyard courtyard graveyard churchyard schoolyard

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