yard

yard — noun

1. used to measure length, with one yard equalling 3 feet or 91.44 cm; also serves

1.nounB1
Definition

used to measure length, with one yard equalling 3 feet or 91.44 cm; also serves as a volume measure (the cubic yard) for bulk materials like gravel.

Example

Justin bought three yards of red fabric for the curtains.

The swimming pool is about twenty yards long and ten yards wide.

ordinary measurements of length and width

Common collocations
  • cubic yard
  • square yard
  • yard of fabric
  • yards away
  • yards long

Usage Note

In American English, road distances and speed limits are given in miles, not yards. Yards are common for fabric, building materials, and sports field measurements.

Common Mistakes

The rope is 3 yard long.
The rope is 3 yards long.
when the number is greater than one, add an -s to yard.
The swimming pool is 20 feets long.
The swimming pool is 20 yards long.
yards, not feet, are the natural unit for larger measurements like pool length.

2. a space with buildings and equipment set aside for business activities, such as

2.nounB1
Definition

a space with buildings and equipment set aside for business activities, such as construction, shipping, storage, or keeping animals.

Example

Femi works at the railway yard, where trains are repaired and stored.

railway yard as a common compound

The shipping yard was full of containers waiting to be loaded onto ships.

Common collocations
  • railway yard
  • timber yard
  • shipping yard
  • livestock yard
  • construction yard
  • storage yard
Synonyms
  • depot

    usually for vehicles or goods storage, less general than yard

  • worksite

    focuses on active construction, not storage

Usage Note

The specific type of yard is usually indicated by a preceding word such as railway yard, timber yard, shipyard, or livestock yard.

Common Mistakes

I work in a yard of construction.
I work in a construction yard.
use the noun modifier before yard, not 'of'.

3. a paved, often walled open space adjoining a building, used for walking, sitting

3.nounB1
Definition

a paved, often walled open space adjoining a building, used for walking, sitting, or moving between areas.

Example

Liam sat on a bench in the school yard during lunch break.

school yard — a common compound for an outdoor area at school

The old hotel has a beautiful stone yard with tables and umbrellas.

Common collocations
  • school yard
  • stone yard
  • walled yard
  • back yard
Synonyms
  • courtyard

    more specific — usually implies walls on all sides and paved surface

  • plaza

    larger public open space, not attached to a single building

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 4 (RESIDENTIAL GARDEN): this sense describes a paved, often shared area next to any building, not a private grassy space around a house.

4. the grassy or planted area surrounding a house, used for relaxing, playing, or g

4.nounA2
Definition

the grassy or planted area surrounding a house, used for relaxing, playing, or growing flowers and vegetables.

Example

The children played in the front yard while their mother watched from the porch.

front yard — the area in front of a house

Nadia planted tomatoes and herbs in the yard behind her house.

Common collocations
  • front yard
  • back yard
  • in the yard
  • yard work
  • yard sale
Synonyms
  • garden

    preferred in British English for a planted area around a house

  • backyard

    specifically the area behind a house

  • lawn

    only the grassy part, not the whole yard

Usage Note

In British English, the word garden is more common for this sense; yard in British English usually refers to a hard-surfaced area (sense 3).

Common Mistakes

She grows vegetables in her yard in London.
She grows vegetables in her garden in London.
in British English, a residential planted area is a garden, not a yard.

5. the playing surface of a baseball game, covering both the infield and outfield.

5.nounB2
Definition

the playing surface of a baseball game, covering both the infield and outfield.

Example

Léa hit the ball to the centre of the yard for a home run.

The crowd cheered as the player ran across the yard to catch the fly ball.

yard used to mean outfield in baseball

Common collocations
  • centre of the yard
  • across the yard
  • deep yard
Synonyms
  • field

    more general term for any sports playing surface

  • ballpark

    includes the stadium structure, not just the grass area

Usage Note

This sense is specific to American English and is used informally by players and fans. The formal term is baseball field or ballpark.

Idioms

give somebody an inch (and they’ll take a mile/yard)

idiom

This means that if you let someone have a little freedom or power, they will try to get much more.

Maya let her nephew borrow one comic, and he took ten.

If you give your employees too much flexibility, they might take advantage.

the whole nine yards

idiom

This means everything that is possible or available in a situation.

For her birthday party, Sara went the whole nine yards with decorations and live music.

Did Brian really order the whole nine yards for his car, including a new engine?

yard — adjective

yard — verb

Word family

  • yardage
    nounC1
  • yardstick
    nounB2
  • backyard
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/4

Yard and garden both refer to land next to a house, but yard (common in American English) typically includes the whole outdoor area with grass and plants, while garden (more common in British English) specifically refers to the cultivated part where flowers or vegetables grow. A lawn is only the grassy part that gets mowed — not the flower beds or paved sections. Backyard refers specifically to the area behind a house, often more private than the front yard. Courtyard is different altogether: it is a paved, walled area attached to a building, not a grassy residential space. For example: 'The children played in the yard while their father watered the garden' shows how both words can describe different parts of the same property depending on whether you use American or British English.

yard ↗garden ↗lawn ↗backyard ↗courtyard ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • yard sale
  • yard work
  • yard stick
  • yard line

Adverbs

  • square (yard)
  • cubic (yard)

Phrases

Prepositions

  • in the yard
  • around the yard
  • across the yard
  • into the yard

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word yard has two different origins that merged into one spelling in Middle English. The sense of an enclosed area ('enclosure', 'court', 'garden') comes from Old English geard, meaning a fence, enclosure, or dwelling, from Proto-Germanic *gardaz. This root is also the source of garden and orchard. The measurement sense comes from a different Old English word gierd, meaning a rod, staff, or measuring stick, from Proto-Germanic *gazdijō. By the 1400s, both words were written as yard, though they originally described very different concepts. The verb senses developed later from the noun meaning of an enclosed area.