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yard-of-ale

American  
[yahrd-uhv-eyl] / ˈyɑrd əvˈeɪl /

noun

  1. a trumpet-shaped glass about 3 feet (1 meter) long with a bulb at the closed end, for serving ale or beer.

  2. the amount contained in such a glass.


yard of ale British  

noun

  1. the beer or ale contained in a narrow horn-shaped drinking glass, usually about one yard long and holding between two and three pints

  2. such a drinking glass itself

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of yard-of-ale

First recorded in 1885–90