yard
1
[ yahrd ]
/ yɑrd /
noun
a common unit of linear measure in English-speaking countries, equal to 3 feet or 36 inches, and equivalent to 0.9144 meter.
Nautical.
a long spar, supported more or less at its center, to which the head of a square sail, lateen sail, or lugsail is bent.
Informal.
a large quantity or extent.
Slang.
one hundred or, usually, one thousand dollars.
Idioms for yard
- everything that is pertinent, appropriate, or available.
- in all ways; in every respect; all the way: If you want to run for mayor, I'll be with you the whole nine yards.
the whole nine yards, Informal.
Origin of yard
1
before 900; Middle English
yerd(e), Old English (Anglian)
gerd orig., straight twig; cognate with Dutch
gard, German
Gerte rod
Words nearby yard
yaqui,
yar,
yarak,
yarborough,
yarco,
yard,
yard goods,
yard grass,
yard of ale,
yard sale,
yard-long bean
British Dictionary definitions for whole nine yards (1 of 3)
yard
1
/ (jɑːd) /
noun
a unit of length equal to 3 feet and defined in 1963 as exactly 0.9144 metre
Abbreviation: yd
a cylindrical wooden or hollow metal spar, tapered at the ends, slung from a mast of a square-rigged or lateen-rigged vessel and used for suspending a sail
short for yardstick (def. 2)
put in the hard yards Australian informal
to make a great effort to achieve an end
the whole nine yards informal
everything that is required; the whole thing
Word Origin for yard
Old English
gierd rod, twig; related to Old Frisian
jerde, Old Saxon
gerdia, Old High German
gertia, Old Norse
gaddr
British Dictionary definitions for whole nine yards (2 of 3)
yard
2
/ (jɑːd) /
noun
verb (tr)
to draft (animals), esp to a saleyard
Word Origin for yard
Old English
geard; related to Old Saxon
gard, Old High German
gart, Old Norse
garthr yard, Gothic
gards house, Old Slavonic
gradu town, castle, Albanian
garth hedge
British Dictionary definitions for whole nine yards (3 of 3)
Scientific definitions for whole nine yards
yard
[ yärd ]
A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 3 feet or 36 inches (0.91 meter). See Table at measurement.
Idioms and Phrases with whole nine yards
yard
see all wool and a yard wide; in one's own back yard; whole nine yards.