\Yard\, n. (Zo["o]l.)
A place where moose or deer herd together in winter for
pasture, protection, etc.

\Yard\, n. [OE. yerd, AS. gierd, gyrd, a rod, stick, a
measure, a yard; akin to OFries. ierde, OS. gerda, D. garde,
G. gerte, OHG. gartia, gerta, gart, Icel. gaddr a goad,
sting, Goth. gazds, and probably to L. hasta a spear. Cf.
{Gad}, n., {Gird}, n., {Gride}, v. i., {Hastate}.]
1. A rod; a stick; a staff. [Obs.] --P. Plowman.
         If men smote it with a yerde.         --Chaucer.
2. A branch; a twig. [Obs.]
         The bitter frosts with the sleet and rain Destroyed
         hath the green in every yerd.         --Chaucer.
3. A long piece of timber, as a rafter, etc. [Obs.]
4. A measure of length, equaling three feet, or thirty-six
   inches, being the standard of English and American
   measure.
5. The penis.
6. (Naut.) A long piece of timber, nearly cylindrical,
   tapering toward the ends, and designed to support and
   extend a square sail. A yard is usually hung by the center
   to the mast. See Illust. of {Ship}.
{Golden Yard}, or {Yard and Ell} (Astron.), a popular name of
   the three stars in the belt of Orion.
{Under yard} [i. e., under the rod], under contract. [Obs.]
   --Chaucer.

\Yard\, n. [OE. yard, yerd, AS. geard; akin to OFries.
garda garden, OS. gardo garden, gard yard, D. gaard garden,
G. garten, OHG. garto garden, gari inclosure, Icel. gar[eth]r
yard, house, Sw. g[*a]rd, Dan. gaard, Goth. gards a house,
garda sheepfold, L. hortus garden, Gr. cho`rtos an inclosure.
Cf. {Court}, {Garden}, {Garth}, {Horticulture}, {Orchard}.]
1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of,
   or around, a house or barn; as, a courtyard; a cowyard; a
   barnyard.
         A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks In which
         she had a cock, hight chanticleer.    --Chaucer.
2. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried
   on; as, a dockyard; a shipyard.
{Liberty of the yard}, a liberty, granted to persons
   imprisoned for debt, of walking in the yard, or within any
   other limits prescribed by law, on their giving bond not
   to go beyond those limits.
{Prison yard}, an inclosure about a prison, or attached to
   it.
{Yard grass} (Bot.), a low-growing grass ({Eleusine Indica})
   having digitate spikes. It is common in dooryards, and
   like places, especially in the Southern United States.
   Called also {crab grass}.
{Yard of land}. See {Yardland}.

\Yard\, v. t.
To confine (cattle) to the yard; to shut up, or keep, in a
yard; as, to yard cows.