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Synonyms

yellow-dog contract

American  
[yel-oh-dawg, -dog] / ˈyɛl oʊˈdɔg, -ˈdɒg /

noun

  1. a contract between a worker and an employer in which, as a condition of employment, the worker agrees not to remain in or join a union.

yellow-dog contract British  

noun

  1. a contract with an employer, now illegal, in which an employee agreed not to join a trade union during his employment

"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 yellow-dog contract

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20

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.

Not only were injunctions by Federal courts to be severely limited but also the "yellow-dog" contract was to be legally exiled.

From Time Magazine Archive

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.