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Yardie

British  
/ ˈjɑːdɪ /

noun

  1. a member of a Black criminal syndicate originally based in Jamaica

"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 Yardie

C20: from Jamaican dialect yard home or (by expatriate Jamaicans) Jamaica

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He currently has about six in rotation in a variety of colors and gets them from the London shop Uptown Yardie, which makes them in tribute to Jamaican heritage.

From Los Angeles Times May 20, 2026

Jerk at Nite offers the choice of its Jamaican-style Yardie platter with a patty or jerk chicken and mac.

From Washington Post Apr. 19, 2023

She has also appeared in Doctor Who, Yardie, and played Jannah in 2019 film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

From BBC Dec. 16, 2020

Adapting Yardie would not be an easy task for any director, let alone a first timer, but Elba has made a powerful, immersive and stylish film.

From The Guardian Aug. 18, 2018

Idris Elba sat with his cast to talk about his directing debut, "Yardie."

From Los Angeles Times

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