yard
yard — noun
1. used to measure length, with one yard equalling 3 feet or 91.44 cm; also serves
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.
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
The truck delivered five cubic yards of gravel for the driveway.
Hui stood only a few yards away from the stage.
Christopher ran a hundred yards in under ten seconds.
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. a space with buildings and equipment set aside for business activities, such as
a space with buildings and equipment set aside for business activities, such as construction, shipping, storage, or keeping animals.
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.
Defne's family runs a timber yard that sells wood for building projects.
The construction company stored its heavy machines in a large yard behind the office.
Farmers brought their sheep to the livestock yard for the weekly market.
用法筆記
The specific type of yard is usually indicated by a preceding word such as railway yard, timber yard, shipyard, or livestock yard.
常見錯誤
3. a paved, often walled open space adjoining a building, used for walking, sitting
a paved, often walled open space adjoining a building, used for walking, sitting, or moving between areas.
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.
Gabriela parked her bicycle in the yard behind the apartment building.
Children played in the yard between the two classroom buildings.
The restaurant's yard was lit with small lights and filled with customers.
用法筆記
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
the grassy or planted area surrounding a house, used for relaxing, playing, or growing flowers and vegetables.
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.
On Saturday mornings, Justin mows the grass and waters the flowers in the yard.
The family set up a table and chairs in the yard for the picnic.
Shanti's dog enjoys running around the yard chasing butterflies.
用法筆記
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).
常見錯誤
5. the playing surface of a baseball game, covering both the infield and outfield.
the playing surface of a baseball game, covering both the infield and outfield.
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
The team practised throwing and catching in the yard every afternoon.
Fans filled the stands around the yard to watch the championship game.
用法筆記
This sense is specific to American English and is used informally by players and fans. The formal term is baseball field or ballpark.
yard — adjective
1. relating to the area of grass or hard surface that surrounds a building, or to t
relating to the area of grass or hard surface that surrounds a building, or to the work done there.
The apartment comes with yard maintenance included in the rent.
yard maintenance — care of the outdoor area
The yard worker trimmed the hedges and swept the paths.
Hui bought new yard furniture for the patio.
The yard waste was collected every Tuesday morning.
- garden
used as adjective in British English (garden furniture, garden waste)
用法筆記
This attributive adjective always comes before a noun and describes something related to the grounds of a house, school, or other building.
2. relating to the area where trains are stored, repaired, and organised into new g
relating to the area where trains are stored, repaired, and organised into new groups, or to the workers there.
Christopher works as a yard conductor for the national railway.
yard conductor — a job title in rail transport
The yard office controls all train movements in the switching area.
New safety rules were introduced for all yard employees last month.
The yard crew worked overnight to rearrange the freight cars.
用法筆記
This is a specialised attributive adjective used mainly in American rail transport contexts. In British English, the equivalent term is goods yard or marshalling yard.
yard — verb
1. to drive or move animals into an enclosed area such as a pen, corral, or fenced
to drive or move animals into an enclosed area such as a pen, corral, or fenced field, usually for safety, feeding, or counting.
The farmer yarded the sheep before the storm arrived.
Femi yarded the cattle for the evening feeding and health check.
yard + cattle for feeding/checking
At sunset, the horses were yarded and given fresh water.
The dogs helped yard the chickens back into their coop.
- release
to set animals free from an enclosure
文法句型
yard + animal + location
用法筆記
This verb is most common in farming and ranching contexts. It is less frequently used in everyday conversation.
2. to move materials, vehicles, or goods to a storage area or work yard for keeping
to move materials, vehicles, or goods to a storage area or work yard for keeping or processing.
The company yards its shipping containers on the lot behind the warehouse.
After the concert, the trucks were yarded near the depot.
passive: trucks were yarded
The construction crew yarded the lumber and bricks for the next project.
The port authority yards all incoming cargo on the dock before inspection.
文法句型
yard + goods + location
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice, especially in logistics and transport contexts, e.g., The containers were yarded overnight.
3. (of people or animals) to come together in a group within an enclosed or defined
(of people or animals) to come together in a group within an enclosed or defined area.
The fans yarded near the main entrance waiting for the players to arrive.
people yarding near an entrance
During the festival, crowds yarded in the square to watch the performance.
The goats yarded around the feeding trough at noon.
After the match, supporters yarded on the field to celebrate the victory.
- gather
more common and general; no implication of a yard
- congregate
more formal, often used for people in public spaces
- disperse
to move apart in different directions
文法句型
yard + (location)
用法筆記
This intransitive sense is the least common of the verb senses. It is sometimes used in regional or rural speech to describe animals gathering naturally in a familiar spot.