yards
|yards|
🇺🇸
/jɑrdz/
🇬🇧
/jɑːdz/
(yard)
enclosure or measure
Etymology
'yard' originates from Old English, specifically the words 'geard' (enclosure) and 'gyrd' (rod or measuring stick).
'yard' changed from Old English 'geard' (enclosure) and 'gyrd' (rod/measure) into Middle English forms such as 'yerd'/'yard' and eventually became the modern English word 'yard'.
Initially, it meant 'enclosure' (from 'geard') and separately 'rod' or 'measuring stick' (from 'gyrd'); over time these senses converged and evolved into the modern meanings of an enclosed area and a unit of length.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of yard: a unit of length equal to 3 feet (0.9144 meters).
The field is about 100 yards long.
Synonyms
Noun 2
plural of yard: an enclosed or open area next to a building (e.g., front yard, back yard).
The children played in the yards behind the houses.
Synonyms
Noun 3
plural of yard: an open area used for a specific commercial or industrial purpose (e.g., rail yards, lumber yards, shipyards).
The train engines were parked in the rail yards overnight.
Synonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/06 17:53