Yaourt noun [ Turk. yoghurt .] A fermented drink, or milk beer, made by the Turks.

Yap intransitive verb [ Icelandic gjālpa ; akin to yelp . Confer Yaup .] To bark; to yelp. L'Estrange.

Yap noun A bark; a yelp.

Yapock noun [ Probably from the river Oyapok , between French Guiana and Brazil.] (Zoology) A South American aquatic opossum ( Chironectes variegatus ) found in Guiana and Brazil. Its hind feet are webbed, and its fore feet do not have an opposable thumb for climbing. Called also water opossum . [ Written also yapack .]

Yapon noun (Botany) Same as Yaupon .

Yarage noun [ See Yare , adjective ] (Nautical) The power of moving, or being managed, at sea; -- said with reference to a ship. Sir T. North.

Yard noun [ Middle English yerd , Anglo-Saxon gierd , gyrd , a rod, stick, a measure, a yard; akin to OFries. ierde , Old Saxon gerda , Dutch garde , German gerte , Old High German gartia , gerta , gart , Icelandic gaddr a goad, sting, Goth. gazds , and probably to Latin hasta a spear. Confer Gad , noun , Gird , noun , Gride , intransitive verb , Hastate .]

1. A rod; a stick; a staff. [ Obsolete] P. Plowman.

If men smote it with a yerde .

Chaucer.

2. A branch; a twig. [ Obsolete]

The bitter frosts with the sleet and rain
Destroyed hath the green in every yerd .

Chaucer.

3. A long piece of timber, as a rafter, etc. [ Obsolete]

4. A measure of length, equaling three feet, or thirty-six inches, being the standard of English and American measure.

5. The penis.

6. (Nautical) 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 .

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. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Yard noun [ Middle English yard , yerd , Anglo-Saxon geard ; akin to OFries. garda garden, Old Saxon gardo garden, gard yard, Dutch gaard garden, German garten , Old High German garto garden, gari inclosure, Icelandic garðr yard, house, Swedish gård , Danish gaard , Goth. gards a house, garda sheepfold, Latin hortus garden, Greek cho`rtos an inclosure. Confer Court , Garden , Garth , Horticulture , Orchard .]

1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of, or around, a house or barn; as, a court yard ; a cow yard ; a barn yard .

A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks
In which she had a cock, hight chanticleer.

Chaucer.

2. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried on; as, a dock yard ; a ship yard .

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 (Botany) , 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 .

Yard transitive verb To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a yard; as, to yard cows.

Yard noun (Zoology) A place where moose or deer herd together in winter for pasture, protection, etc.

Yardarm noun (Nautical) Either half of a square-rigged vessel's yard, from the center or mast to the end.

» Ships are said to be yardarm and yardarm when so near as to touch, or interlock yards.

Yardful noun ; plural Yardfuls As much as a yard will contain; enough to fill a yard.

Yardland noun (O. Eng. Law) A measure of land of uncertain quantity, varying from fifteen to forty acres; a virgate. [ Obsolete]

Yardstick noun A stick three feet, or a yard, in length, used as a measure of cloth, etc.

Yardwand noun A yardstick. Tennyson.

Yare adjective [ Middle English yare , ʒaru , Anglo-Saxon gearu ; akin to Old Saxon garu , Old High German garo , German gar , Icelandic gerr perfect, görva quite, German gerben to tan, to curry, Old High German garawen , garwen , to make ready. Confer Carouse , Garb clothing, Gear , noun ] Ready; dexterous; eager; lively; quick to move. [ Obsolete] "Be yare in thy preparation." Shak.

The lesser [ ship] will come and go, leave or take, and is yare ; whereas the greater is slow.

Sir W. Raleigh.

Yare adverb Soon. [ Obsolete] Cursor Mundi.

Yarely adverb In a yare manner. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Yark transitive verb & i. To yerk. [ Prov. Eng.]

Yarke noun (Zoology) Same as Saki .

Yarn noun [ Middle English yarn , ʒarn , Anglo-Saxon gearn ; akin to Dutch garen , G., Old High German , Icelandic , Swedish , & Danish garn ; of uncertain origin. Confer Cord .]

1. Spun wool; woolen thread; also, thread of other material, as of cotton, flax, hemp, or silk; material spun and prepared for use in weaving, knitting, manufacturing sewing thread, or the like.

2. (Rope Making) One of the threads of which the strands of a rope are composed.

3. A story told by a sailor for the amusement of his companions; a story or tale; as, to spin a yarn . [ Colloq.]

Yarnen adjective Made of yarn; consisting of yarn. [ Obsolete] "A pair of yarnen stocks." Turbervile.

Yarnut noun (Botany) See Yernut .

Yarr intransitive verb [ Middle English ʒarren .] To growl or snarl as a dog. [ Obsolete] Ainsworth.

Yarrish adjective [ Prov. English yar sour, yare brackish.] Having a rough, dry taste. [ Prov. Eng.]

Yarrow noun [ Middle English yarowe , yarwe , ʒarowe , Anglo-Saxon gearwe ; akin to Dutch gerw , Old High German garwa , garawa , German garbe , schafgarbe , and perhaps to English yare .] (Botany) An American and European composite plant ( Achillea Millefolium ) with very finely dissected leaves and small white corymbed flowers. It has a strong, and somewhat aromatic, odor and taste, and is sometimes used in making beer, or is dried for smoking. Called also milfoil , and nosebleed .

Yarwhip noun [ So called from its sharp cry uttered when taking wing.] (Zoology) The European bar-tailed godwit; -- called also yardkeep , and yarwhelp . See Godwit . [ Prov. Eng.]

Yataghan noun [ Turk. yātāghān .] A long knife, or short saber, common among Mohammedan nations, usually having a double curve, sometimes nearly straight. [ Written also ataghan , attaghan .] Chaucer.

Yate noun A gate. See 1st Gate . [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] Spenser.

Yaud noun See Yawd . [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

Yaul noun (Nautical) See Yawl .

Yaulp intransitive verb To yaup.

Yaup intransitive verb [ See Yap , and Yelp .] To cry out like a child; to yelp. [ Scot. & Colloq. U. S.] [ Written also yawp .]

Yaup noun [ Written also yawp .]

1. A cry of distress, rage, or the like, as the cry of a sickly bird, or of a child in pain. [ Scot. & Colloq. U. S.]

2. (Zoology) The blue titmouse. [ Prov. Eng.]

Yauper noun One who, or that which, yaups.

Yaupon noun (Botany) A shrub ( Ilex Cassine ) of the Holly family, native from Virginia to Florida. The smooth elliptical leaves are used as a substitute for tea, and were formerly used in preparing the black drink of the Indians of North Carolina. Called also South-Sea tea . [ Written also yapon , youpon , and yupon .]

Yautia noun [ Native name in the Antilles.] In Porto Rico, any of several araceous plants or their starchy edible roots, which are cooked and eaten like yams or potatoes, as the taro.

Yaw intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Yawed ; present participle & verbal noun Yawing .] [ Confer Yew , intransitive verb ] To rise in blisters, breaking in white froth, as cane juice in the clarifiers in sugar works.

Yaw intransitive verb & t. [ Confer Prov. German gagen to rock, gageln to totter, shake, Norw. gaga to bend backward, Icelandic gagr bent back, gaga to throw the neck back.] (Nautical) To steer wild, or out of the line of her course; to deviate from her course, as when struck by a heavy sea; -- said of a ship.

Just as he would lay the ship's course, all yawing being out of the question.

Lowell.

Yaw noun (Nautical) A movement of a vessel by which she temporarily alters her course; a deviation from a straight course in steering.

Yawd noun [ Confer Icelandic jalda a mare, English jade a nag.] A jade; an old horse or mare. [ Written also yaud .] [ Prov. Eng. & Scot.] Grose.

Yawi noun A fore-and-aft-rigged vessel with a mainmast stepped a little farther forward than in a sloop and carrying a mainsail and jibs, with a jigger mast far aft, usually placed abaft the rudder post.

Yawl noun [ Dutch jol ; akin to LG. & Danish jolle , Swedish julle . Confer Jolly-boat .] (Nautical) A small ship's boat, usually rowed by four or six oars. [ Written also yaul .]

Yawl intransitive verb [ Middle English ʒaulen , ʒoulen , gaulen , goulen , Icelandic gaula to low, bellow. Confer Gowl .] To cry out like a dog or cat; to howl; to yell. Tennyson.

There howling Scyllas yawling round about.

Fairfax.

Yawl-rigged adjective (Nautical) Having two masts with fore-and-aft sails, but differing from a schooner in that the after mast is very small, and stepped as far aft as possible. See Illustration in Appendix.

Yawn (yan) intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Yawned ; present participle & verbal noun Yawning .] [ Middle English yanien , ʒanien , ganien , gonien , Anglo-Saxon gānian ; akin to ginian to yawn, gīnan to yawn, open wide, German gähnen to yawn, Old High German ginēn , geinōn , Icelandic gīna to yawn, gin the mouth, OSlav. zijati to yawn, Latin hiare to gape, yawn; and perhaps to English begin , confer Greek cheia` a hole. √47 b . Confer Begin , Gin to begin, Hiatus .]

1. To open the mouth involuntarily through drowsiness, dullness, or fatigue; to gape; to oscitate. "The lazy, yawning drone." Shak.

And while above he spends his breath,
The yawning audience nod beneath.

Trumbull.

2. To open wide; to gape, as if to allow the entrance or exit of anything.

't is now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn .

Shak.

3. To open the mouth, or to gape, through surprise or bewilderment. Shak.

4. To be eager; to desire to swallow anything; to express desire by yawning; as, to yawn for fat livings. "One long, yawning gaze." Landor.

Yawn noun
1. An involuntary act, excited by drowsiness, etc., consisting of a deep and long inspiration following several successive attempts at inspiration, the mouth, fauces, etc., being wide open.

One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present.

N. Chipman.

2. The act of opening wide, or of gaping. Addison.

3. A chasm, mouth, or passageway. [ R.]

Now gape the graves, and trough their yawns let loose
Imprisoned spirits.

Marston.

Yawningly adverb In a yawning manner.

Yawp v. & noun See Yaup .

Yaws noun [ African yaw a raspberry.] (Medicine) A disease, occurring in the Antilles and in Africa, characterized by yellowish or reddish tumors, of a contagious character, which, in shape and appearance, often resemble currants, strawberries, or raspberries. There are several varieties of this disease, variously known as frambœsia , pian , verrugas , and crab-yaws .