Yesterday Yes"ter·day noun [ Middle English ʒisterdai , Anglo-Saxon geostran dæg , from geostran , geostra , giestran , gistran , gystran , yesterday (akin to Dutch gisteren , German gestern , Old High German gestaron , Icelandic gær yesterday, to-morrow, Goth. gistradagis to-morrow, Latin heri yesterday, Greek ..., Sanskrit hyas ) + dæg day. Confer Hestern . .............]

1. The day last past; the day next before the present.

All our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death.

Shak.

We are but of yesterday , and know nothing.

Job viii. 9.

2. Fig.: A recent time; time not long past.

The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday , when compared with the line of supreme pontiffs.

Macaulay.

Yesterday Yes"ter·day adverb On the day last past; on the day preceding to-day; as, the affair took place yesterday .

Yestereve, Yester-evening Yes"ter·eve`, Yes"ter-e`ven·ing noun The evening of yesterday; the evening last past.

Yestermorn, Yester-morning Yes"ter·morn`, Yes"ter-morn`ing noun The morning of yesterday. Coleridge.

Yestern Yes"tern adjective [ See Yester .] Of or pertaining to yesterday; relating to the day last past.

Yesternight Yes"ter·night` noun The last night; the night last past.

Yesternight Yes"ter·night` adverb [ Anglo-Saxon gystran niht . See Yesterday .] On the last night. B. Jonson.

Yesternoon Yes"ter·noon` noun The noon of yesterday; the noon last past.

Yesterweek Yes"ter·week` noun The week last past; last week.

Yesteryear Yes"ter·year` noun The year last past; last year.

Yestreen Yes`treen" noun Yester-evening; yesternight; last night. [ R. or Scot.]

Yestreen I did not know
How largely I could live.

Bp. Coxe.

Yesty Yest"y adjective See Yeasty . Shak.

Yet Yet noun (Zoology) Any one of several species of large marine gastropods belonging to the genus Yetus , or Cymba ; a boat shell.

Yet Yet adverb [ Middle English yet , ʒet , ʒit , Anglo-Saxon git , gyt , giet , gieta ; akin to OFries. ieta , eta , ita , Middle High German iezuo , ieze , now, German jetzo , jetzt .]

1. In addition; further; besides; over and above; still. "A little longer; yet a little longer." Dryden.

This furnishes us with yet one more reason why our savior, lays such a particular stress acts of mercy.

Atterbury.

The rapine is made yet blacker by the pretense of piety and justice.

L'Estrange.

2. At the same time; by continuance from a former state; still.

Facts they had heard while they were yet heathens.

Addison.

3. Up to the present time; thus far; hitherto; until now; -- and with the negative, not yet , not up to the present time; not as soon as now; as, Is it time to go? Not yet . See As yet , under As , conj.

Ne never yet no villainy ne said.

Chaucer.

4. Before some future time; before the end; eventually; in time. "He 'll be hanged yet ." Shak.

5. Even; -- used emphatically.

Men may not too rashly believe the confessions of witches, nor yet the evidence against them.

Bacon.

Yet Yet conj. Nevertheless; notwithstanding; however.

Yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Matt. vi. 29.

Syn. -- See However .

Yeve Yeve intransitive verb To give. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Yeven Yev"en past participle Given. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Yew Yew (ū) intransitive verb See Yaw .

Yew Yew noun [ Middle English ew , Anglo-Saxon eów , īw , eoh ; akin to Dutch ijf , Old High German īwa , īha , German eibe , Icelandic ȳr ; confer Ir. iubhar , Gael. iubhar , iughar , W. yw , ywen , Lithuanian jëva the black alder tree.]

1. (Botany) An evergreen tree ( Taxus baccata ) of Europe, allied to the pines, but having a peculiar berrylike fruit instead of a cone. It frequently grows in British churchyards.

2. The wood of the yew. It is light red in color, compact, fine-grained, and very elastic. It is preferred to all other kinds of wood for bows and whipstocks, the best for these purposes coming from Spain.

» The American yew ( Taxus baccata , var. Canadensis ) is a low and straggling or prostrate bush, never forming an erect trunk. The California yew ( Taxus brevifolia ) is a good-sized tree, and its wood is used for bows, spear handles, paddles, and other similar implements. Another yew is found in Florida, and there are species in Japan and the Himalayas.

3. A bow for shooting, made of the yew.

Yew Yew (ū) adjective Of or pertaining to yew trees; made of the wood of a yew tree; as, a yew whipstock.

Yewen Yew"en adjective Made of yew; as, yewen bows.

Yex Yex intransitive verb [ Middle English ʒexen , yesken , Anglo-Saxon giscian to sob.] To hiccough. [ Written also yox , yux .] [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

He yexeth and he speaketh through the nose.

Chaucer.

Yex Yex noun [ Anglo-Saxon geocsa a sobbing, hiccough. Confer Yex , intransitive verb ] A hiccough. [ Written also yox , and yux .] [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.] "The excessive yex ." Holland.

Yezdegerdian Yez`de·ger"di·an adjective Of or pertaining to Yezdegerd , the last Sassanian monarch of Persia, who was overthrown by the Mohammedans; as, the Yezdegerdian era, which began on the 16th of June, a.d. 632. The era is still used by the Parsees.

Yezdi Yez"di (yĕz"dē) noun Same as Izedi . Tylor.

Yezidee, Yezidi Yez"i·dee, Yez"i·di noun Same as Izedi.

Yfere Y·fere" adverb Together. See Ifere . [ Obsolete]

As friends do when they be met yfere .

Chaucer.

Ygdrasyl Yg"dra·syl noun (Scand. Myth.) See in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.

Yghe Y"ghe noun Eye. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Ygo Y·go" obsolete past participle of Go . Gone. Chaucer.

Yground Y·ground" obsolete past participle of Grind . Chaucer.

Yholde Y·hold"e obsolete past participle of Hold . Chaucer.

Yid Yid noun [ See Yiddish .] A Jew. [ Slang or Colloq.] "Almost any young Yid who goes out from among her people." John Corbin.

Yiddish Yid"dish noun [ German jüdisch , prop., Jewish, from Jude Jew. See Jew , Jewish .] A language used by German and other Jews, being a Middle German dialect developed under Hebrew and Slavic influence. It is written in Hebrew characters.

Yiddisher Yid"dish·er noun [ See Yiddish .] A Yid. [ Slang]

Yield Yield transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Yielded ; obsolete past participle Yold ; present participle & verbal noun Yielding .] [ Middle English yelden , ʒelden , ʒilden , Anglo-Saxon gieldan , gildan , to pay, give, restore, make an offering; akin to OFries. jelda , Old Saxon geldan , Dutch gelden to cost, to be worth, German gelten , Old High German geltan to pay, restore, make an offering, be worth, Icelandic gjalda to pay, give up, Danish gielde to be worth, Swedish gälla to be worth, gälda to pay, Goth. gildan in fra gildan , us gildan . Confer 1st Geld , Guild .]

1. To give in return for labor expended; to produce, as payment or interest on what is expended or invested; to pay; as, money at interest yields six or seven per cent.

To yelde Jesu Christ his proper rent.

Chaucer.

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength.

Gen. iv. 12.

2. To furnish; to afford; to render; to give forth. "Vines yield nectar." Milton.

[ He] makes milch kine yield blood.

Shak.

The wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

Job xxiv. 5.

3. To give up, as something that is claimed or demanded; to make over to one who has a claim or right; to resign; to surrender; to relinquish; as a city, an opinion, etc.

And, force perforce, I'll make him yield the crown.

Shak.

Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame.

Milton.

4. To admit to be true; to concede; to allow.

I yield it just, said Adam, and submit.

Milton.

5. To permit; to grant; as, to yield passage.

6. To give a reward to; to bless. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Tend me to-night two hours, I ask no more,
And the gods yield you for 't.

Shak.

God yield thee, and God thank ye.

Beau. & Fl.

To yield the breath , the ghost , or the life , to die; to expire; -- often followed by up .

One calmly yields his willing breath .

Keble.

Yield Yield intransitive verb 1. To give up the contest; to submit; to surrender; to succumb.

He saw the fainting Grecians yield .

Dryden.

2. To comply with; to assent; as, I yielded to his request.

3. To give way; to cease opposition; to be no longer a hindrance or an obstacle; as, men readily yield to the current of opinion, or to customs; the door yielded .

Will ye relent,
And yield to mercy while 't is offered you?

Shak.

4. To give place, as inferior in rank or excellence; as, they will yield to us in nothing.

Nay tell me first, in what more happy fields
The thistle springs, to which the lily yields ?

Pope.

Yield Yield noun Amount yielded; product; -- applied especially to products resulting from growth or cultivation. "A goodly yield of fruit doth bring." Bacon.

Yieldable Yield"a·ble adjective Disposed to yield or comply. [ R.] -- Yield"a*ble*ness , noun [ R.] Bp. Hall.

Yieldance Yield"ance noun 1. The act of producing; yield; as, the yieldance of the earth. [ R.] Bp. Hall.

2. The act of yielding; concession. [ R.] South.

Yielder Yield"er noun One who yields. Shak.

Yielding Yield"ing adjective Inclined to give way, or comply; flexible; compliant; accommodating; as, a yielding temper.

Yielding and paying (Law) , the initial words of that clause in leases in which the rent to be paid by the lessee is mentioned and reserved. Burrill.

Syn. -- Obsequious; attentive. -- Yielding , Obsequious , Attentive . In many cases a man may be attentive or yielding in a high degree without any sacrifice of his dignity; but he who is obsequious seeks to gain favor by excessive and mean compliances for some selfish end.

-- Yield"ing*ly , adverb -- Yield"ing*ness , noun

Yieldless Yield"less adjective Without yielding; unyielding. [ Obsolete]

Yift Yift noun Gift. [ Obsolete] "Great yiftes ." Chaucer.

Yin Yin noun A Chinese weight of 2⅔ pounds.

Yis Yis adverb Yes. [ Obsolete]

" Yis , sir," quod he, " yis , host."

Chaucer.

Yit Yit conj. Yet. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Yite Yite noun (Zoology) The European yellow-hammer.

Yive Yive transitive verb & i. To give. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Ylang-ylang Y·lang`-y·lang" noun See Ihlang-ihlang .

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter Y > Page 5 of 8.
« Previous ¦1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ¦ Next »