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.
the ground that immediately adjoins or surrounds a house, public building, or other structure.
an enclosed area outdoors, often paved and surrounded by or adjacent to a building; court.
It’s been a long road trip for the Mariners, and they’ll be glad to get back to their own yard on Tuesday.
an outdoor enclosure designed for the exercise of students, inmates, etc..
a prison yard.
an outdoor space surrounded by a group of buildings, as on a college campus.
a pen or other enclosure for livestock.
an enclosure within which any work or business is carried on (often used in combination).
navy yard; a brickyard.
an outside area used for storage, assembly, or the like.
Railroads. a system of parallel tracks, crossovers, switches, etc., where cars are switched and made up into trains and where cars, locomotives, and other rolling stock are kept when not in use or when awaiting repairs.
the winter pasture or browsing ground of moose and deer.
British. the Yard, Scotland Yard.
yd. a unit of length equal to 3 feet and defined in 1963 as exactly 0.9144 metre
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
informal to make a great effort to achieve an end
informal everything that is required; the whole thing
a piece of enclosed ground, usually either paved or laid with concrete and often adjoining or surrounded by a building or buildings
an enclosed or open area used for some commercial activity, for storage, etc
a railway yard
( in combination )
a brickyard
a shipyard
a US and Canadian word for garden
an area having a network of railway tracks and sidings, used for storing rolling stock, making up trains, etc
the winter pasture of deer, moose, and similar animals
an enclosed area used to draw off part of a herd, etc
A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 3 feet or 36 inches (0.91 meter).
See Table at measurement
First recorded before 950; Middle English yerd(e), yard(e) “stick, pole, rod,” Old English gird, gierd, gerd “bough, staff, rod”; cognate with Dutch gard, German Gerte “rod, twig”
First recorded before 900; Middle English yerd(e), yard(e), Old English geard “enclosure”; cognate with Dutch gaard “garden,” Old Norse garthr “yard,” Gothic gards “house,” Latin hortus “garden,” Greek chórtos “enclosure, court,” Old Irish gort “field,” Slavic (Polish) gród “castle, town”; akin to garden, garth ( def. )
The grassy area right outside a house is a yard. A yard is often surrounded by a fence or marked by shrubs or other plants. As a unit of measurement, a yard is equal to three feet. Most suburban houses have both a front yard and a back yard — sometimes side yards too. Yards might have grass, trees, bushes, play structures, gardens, patios, and decks. A completely different kind of yard is the unit of measurement that equals three feet. This three-foot yard comes from a Germanic root meaning "rod or staff," while the yard behind your house has a root that means "to enclose."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One imagined a Hitchockian scene, fighters and attendees diving for cover and cans of repellent as a buzzing cloud descended on the yard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Under police escort, the protesters headed towards the flyover leading to Queens Drive before being diverted through a church yard into residential streets around Goodison Park stadium.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
A large replica of the golden World Cup trophy boasted pride of place in the centre of Muhammad's front yard, attracting visitors from neighbouring villages.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
The main bedroom offers a clean, contemporary aesthetic, with large glass doors that open to another terrace space, with its own private seating area—and steps that lead down to the main yard and pool space.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Jeff added, shaking his head as we crossed the yard.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
