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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Yard \Yard\, 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. gar[eth]r
yard, house, Sw. g[*a]rd, Dan. gaard, Goth. gards a house,
garda sheepfold, L. hortus garden, Gr. cho`rtos an inclosure.
Cf. {Court}, {Garden}, {Garth}, {Horticulture}, {Orchard}.]
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1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of,
or around, a house or barn; as, a courtyard; a cowyard; a
barnyard.
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A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks
In which she had a cock, hight chanticleer.
--Chaucer.
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2. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried
on; as, a dockyard; a shipyard.
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{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}.
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Yard \Yard\, 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.
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If men smote it with a yerde. --Chaucer.
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2. A branch; a twig. [Obs.]
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The bitter frosts with the sleet and rain
Destroyed hath the green in every yerd. --Chaucer.
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3. A long piece of timber, as a rafter, etc. [Obs.]
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4. A measure of length, equaling three feet, or thirty-six
inches, being the standard of English and American
measure.
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5. The penis.
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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}.
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7. (Zool.) A place where moose or deer herd together in
winter for pasture, protection, etc.
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{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.
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Yard \Yard\, v. t.
To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a
yard; as, to yard cows.
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