yard

Everyday

1. A yard is the ground around a house; in the USA it often has grass (in the UK a «garden»). tree →
2. A yard is a unit of length. A yard is 3 feet. A yard is 36 inches. tree →
3. A yard is an open area for work or play, like a school yard, a farmyard or a shipyard. tree →

In the lessons

a place (back yard) or a unit of length for cloth, fences and fields; football fields in the USA are measured in yards; phrases «backyard», «front yard», «school yard», «yard sale», «graveyard»

Examples

• There are 8 trees in the yard. tree →
• She bought 5 yards of ribbon. tree →
• One yard is 3 feet. tree →
• The field is 100 yards long. tree →
• The kids played in the front yard. tree →
• We had a yard sale on Saturday. tree →
• The ship was built in a shipyard. tree →
• The farmyard was full of chickens. tree →
• He ran 40 yards for a touchdown. tree →
• A yard is a little shorter than a meter. tree →
• Out they went into the yard. tree →

Note

A place or a unit of length. Trap: yards and feet must be changed to one unit; 1 yard = 3 feet. Square yards measure area (9 square feet in a square yard). 1 yard is about 0.9 meters.

In Jewish tradition

In "olive-yards" it is an old form of "orchard" or garden, a place where trees or vines grow. It is not a measure.

Interpretation. Joshua reminds Israel that the land and its crops were God's gift, not their own work. Tradition teaches that people should be thankful for it.

Examples

• And I gave you a land whereon thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat. (Prophets JOS.24.13, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

A place or a unit of length. Trap: yards and feet must be changed to one unit; 1 yard = 3 feet. Square yards measure area (9 square feet in a square yard). 1 yard is about 0.9 meters.