yard
yard, abbr. yd, basic unit of length in the customary system of
English units of measurement; all other units in the English system, such as the inch, foot, rod, and mile, are derived from it. Since 1893 the yard has been defined in terms of the
meter, the basic unit of length in the
metric system. For a long time the yard was held to equal 3600/3937 of a meter; it has since been recalculated so that 1 yd equals 0.9144 m. In the United States results of geodetic surveys are still expressed in feet based on the former definition of the yard; this is known as the U.S. Survey Foot, defined as 1200/3937 of a meter. The U.S. Survey Foot, however, will become obsolete in 2023.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia™ Copyright © 2022, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Yard
a fenced plot containing the structures of one household. Many peoples, including the Russians, often use the word “yard” (Russian dvor) in the sense of homestead. The yard may be open or roofed: the latter is used as a rule to house the livestock and often directly adjoins the living quarters. Roofed yards are common in the northern and central areas of Russia. The Russian peasants call the combined covered yard and house a junction (sviaz’) In a single-row junction, the yard is directly behind the cottage as a kind of extension; in a two-row junction the yard and the residential house form two parallel rows. There are also transverse and chamber-like junctions (in a U-shaped configuration). In the present-day countryside the cattle yards are usually remote from the residential buildings.
Yard
a rounded spar horizontally attached at the middle to a ship’s mast or topmast. Yards are used for supporting and controlling square sails. Yards are also used for mounting antennas and hoisting signals.
Yard
a unit of length in the English system of measures, equal to 3 feet, 36 inches, or 0.9144 meters. The abbreviation is yd.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
What does it mean when you dream about a yard?
As the place to play in and around one’s home, the yard may symbolize recreation or the carefree days of youth. As a metaphor for a unit of measure, the yard may signify a great length or quantity (yards and yards of material).
The Dream Encyclopedia, Second Edition © 2009 Visible Ink Press®. All rights reserved.
yard
[yärd] (civil engineering)
A facility for building and repairing ships.
(mechanics)
A unit of length in common use in the United States and United Kingdom, equal to 0.9144 meter, or 3 feet. Abbreviated yd.
(naval architecture)
A long spar, tapered at the ends, attached at its middle to a mast and running athwartships, and used to support a sail.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
yard
That part of a building plot not occupied by the building, open to the sky.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
yard
11. a unit of length equal to 3 feet and defined in 1963 as exactly 0.9144 metre
2. 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
yard
21. an enclosed or open area used for some commercial activity, for storage, etc.
2. a US and Canadian word for
garden 3. an area having a network of railway tracks and sidings, used for storing rolling stock, making up trains, etc.
4. US and Canadian the winter pasture of deer, moose, and similar animals
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Yard
(dreams)In daily life, the appearance of a backyard is usually a reflection on the people living in the house. A neat and well groomed yard, with grass and flowers, usually indicates that people living there are conscientious, caring, and have enough energy to maintain their property. The yard in your dream may be a reflection of how well you have been able to maintain your internal and external environment. The backyard points to things that are less obvious and, at times, may be unconscious. It may also represent childhood memories that hold positive and negative emotions and lead to self-awareness. If the yard in your dream is a measuring unit, think about what you are measuring and if any growth has taken place.
Bedside Dream Dictionary by Silvana Amar Copyright © 2007 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.