📖 Y — The English dictionary

yacht — Everyday, meaning 1: A boat with sails, used for racing or for pleasure.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A large, expensive motor boat or ship, often owned by a very rich person, used for holidays or parties.↗ Example: We watched the yachts racing across the bay.↗ · My uncle has a small yacht and takes us sailing in summer.↗ · The film star arrived on a huge luxury yacht.↗ · The wind filled the yacht's white sails.↗ · The Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts on Boxing Day.↗ · Yachts lined the harbour in Auckland, the "City of Sails".↗ · Off sailed the yacht with the princess and her escort.↗

yak — Everyday, meaning 1: A yak is a large, long-haired wild or farm ox that lives in the high, cold mountains of Tibet, the Himalayas and Central Asia.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) To yak means to chat or talk on and on about unimportant things.↗ Example: Yaks carry heavy loads up the mountain paths.↗ · A yak's long hair keeps it warm in the snow.↗ · People in Tibet drink yak butter tea.↗ · The yak herders lived in tents high in the mountains.↗ · Stop yakking and finish your work!↗ · The two friends yakked on the phone for an hour.↗ · Dried yak dung is burned for heat.↗

yam — Everyday, meaning 1: A yam is a large root vegetable with brown skin and firm white or orange flesh, grown in warm countries and cooked like a potato.↗ Example: Here Uncle Remus paused, and drew a two-pound yam out of the ashes.↗ · Then the old man blew the ashes from a smoking yam, and proceeded to remove the peeling.↗

yana — Everyday, meaning 1: (a name) Yana is a girl's name, common in Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria and other countries; in Ukrainian it is written Яна.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Buddhism) In Sanskrit, "yana" means "vehicle" or "path", and appears in the names of branches of Buddhism, such as Mahayana and Vajrayana.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Yana is also the name of a river in Siberia, Russia.↗ Example: Yana is a new girl in our class from Ukraine.↗ · Yana and I sit together at lunch.↗ · Mahayana Buddhism is followed in China, Japan and Korea.↗ · In Sanskrit, "yana" means "vehicle" or "path".↗ · The Yana River flows north to the Arctic Ocean.↗ · Yana wrote her name in Ukrainian letters: Яна.↗

yang — Everyday, meaning 1: (Chinese philosophy) Yang is one half of yin and yang, the old Chinese idea that the world is made of two opposite forces that balance each other; yang is the bright, warm, active, «sunny» side.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (Mandarin, pinyin) Yáng is a Chinese word that can mean sun or sunshine (as in tàiyáng, the sun), or sheep or goat, depending on the tone and character; it is not an English word.↗ To an English ear it sounds like «yahng».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Yang is a common Chinese surname (a name).↗ Example: Yin and yang are opposites that balance each other, like night and day.↗ · The yin-yang symbol is a circle of black and white swirls.↗ · In Chinese thought, yang is bright, warm and active.↗ · (Mandarin) Tàiyáng means the sun.↗ · (Mandarin) In the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Goat is also called the Year of the Sheep, yáng.↗ · Our new classmate's surname is Yang.↗ · My brother is noisy and I am quiet; Mum says we are yin and yang.↗

yank — Everyday, meaning 1: To yank something is to pull it suddenly and hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A yank is one quick, strong pull.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Yank (with a capital Y) is an informal, sometimes rude word some people use for a person from the USA.↗ Example: She yanked the door open and ran outside.↗ · The dog yanked on its lead when it saw a cat.↗ · Don't yank the charger out of the wall by the cable.↗ · With one yank, the weed came out of the ground.↗ · Dad gave the rope a yank to start the lawnmower.↗ · He yanked his hand back from the hot pan.↗ · The loose tooth came out with a gentle yank.↗

yap — Everyday, meaning 1: (of a small dog) To give short, high, sharp barks: «The puppy yapped at the postman.».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) To talk a lot, loudly or in a silly way: «Stop yapping!».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang, rude) Your mouth: «Shut your yap!».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A short, sharp bark.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Other animals, such as badgers, can also yap, not just small dogs.↗ Example: The little dog next door yaps every time the doorbell rings.↗ · Stop yapping and finish your homework!↗ · The terrier gave a yap and ran after the ball.↗ · «Shut your yap!» shouted the pirate.↗ · They were yapping on the phone for an hour.↗ · Our neighbour's yappy dog woke the whole street.↗ · There was also the plunge and scurry of the deer, the yapping of badgers, and the whirr of birds driven into reluctant flight.↗

yard — Everyday, meaning 1: A yard is the ground around a house; in the USA it often has grass (in the UK a «garden»).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A yard is a unit of length.↗ A yard is 3 feet.↗ A yard is 36 inches.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A yard is an open area for work or play, like a school yard, a farmyard or a shipyard.↗ Example: There are 8 trees in the yard.↗ · She bought 5 yards of ribbon.↗ · One yard is 3 feet.↗ · The field is 100 yards long.↗ · The kids played in the front yard.↗ · We had a yard sale on Saturday.↗ · The ship was built in a shipyard.↗ · The farmyard was full of chickens.↗ · He ran 40 yards for a touchdown.↗ · A yard is a little shorter than a meter.↗ · Out they went into the yard.↗ · 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)↗

yarn — Everyday, meaning 1: Yarn is long thread made of wool, cotton or other fibre, used for knitting, crocheting and weaving.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A yarn is a long story, often one that is exciting or not quite true.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (informal, Australia/NZ) A yarn is a chat; to yarn means to talk for a while in a friendly way.↗ Example: Gran bought blue yarn to knit me a scarf.↗ · The kitten played with a ball of yarn.↗ · A ball of yarn is 60 metres long; how many 4-metre pieces can you cut?↗ · Grandpa spun us a yarn about a giant fish.↗ · Come over and have a yarn with us, mate.↗ (Australia)↗ · We sat on the porch yarning till dark.↗ (Australia/NZ)↗ · The rug is woven from thick wool yarn.↗ · Habetrot soon overtook her, and placed the yarn in her hands.↗ · I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.↗ (Writings PRO.7.16, JPS 1917)↗ · Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for thy wares; massive iron, cassia, and calamus, were among thy merchandise.↗ (Prophets EZK.27.19, JPS 1917)↗

yawn — Everyday, meaning 1: To yawn means to open your mouth very wide and breathe in deeply, usually because you are tired or bored.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A yawn is the act of yawning.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Something boring can be called «a yawn».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A yawning gap or hole is very wide and open.↗ Example: I yawned all through the long film.↗ · Cover your mouth when you yawn.↗ · When Dad yawned, we all started yawning.↗ · The baby gave a big yawn and fell asleep.↗ · She tried to stifle a yawn in assembly.↗ · The cat yawned and showed its sharp teeth.↗ · That boring speech was a real yawn.↗ · A yawning hole opened in the road after the flood.↗ · Then the little Tsar rose upon his feet, stretched himself, and yawned.↗

yawning — Everyday, meaning 1: Opening your mouth wide and taking a deep breath without meaning to, usually because you are tired or bored.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (adjective) Very wide and open, like a big gap or hole (a yawning gap, a yawning cave).↗ Example: Stop yawning — it's not bedtime yet!↗ · Cover your mouth when you are yawning.↗ · He was yawning all through the boring film.↗ · Seeing someone yawn can make you start yawning too.↗ · The children were yawning after the long day at the beach.↗ · A yawning cave opened in the side of the hill.↗ · There's a yawning gap between the two scores.↗ · For there is no sincerity in their mouth; their inward part is a yawning gulf, their throat is an open sepulchre; they make smooth their tongue.↗ (Writings PSA.5.10, JPS 1917)↗

yay — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) A cry of joy, excitement or approval, like «hooray».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (US, informal) This much; about this size, shown with the hands: «yay big», «yay high».↗ Example: Yay!↗ We won the match!↗ · Yay, it's pizza night!↗ · The class cheered «Yay!» when the bell rang.↗ · «Oh yay, more homework,» he said, not happy at all.↗ · The fish was about yay big.↗ · Yay for Gran, who baked the cake!↗

ye — Early Modern English, meaning 1: You (more than one person); the people being spoken to.↗ Example: Of all clean birds ye may eat.↗ (Torah DEU.14.11, JPS 1917) · "And what do they call ye?"↗ (More English Fairy Tales) · Of all clean winged things ye may eat.↗ (Torah DEU.14.20, JPS 1917)

yea — Everyday, meaning 1: Yea is an old word for «yes».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Yea can also mean «indeed» or «even», adding emphasis to what is said.↗ Early Modern English, meaning 1: Yes; or even, indeed.↗ Example: "Yea, I will go with you."↗ · "The king said yea, and the gate opened."↗ · "He was poor, yea, very poor."↗ · "Hear me, yea, hear me well."↗ · Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly against them.'↗ (Torah EXO.18.11, JPS 1917)↗ · And he said unto the woman: 'Yea, hath God said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'↗ (Torah GEN.3.1, JPS 1917)↗ · And Israel dwelleth in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone, in a land of corn and wine; yea, his heavens drop down dew.↗ (Torah DEU.33.28, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, very few, and sojourners in it, (Writings PSA.105.12, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper?↗ (Prophets EZK.17.10, JPS 1917)↗ · Yea, the LORD will dwell therein for ever.↗ (Writings PSA.68.17, JPS 1917)↗ · Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly against them.'↗ (Torah EXO.18.11, JPS 1917) · Such was my wish, yea such When hardly three feet high, I longed for much.↗ (Andersen's Fairy Tales) · And he said unto the woman: 'Yea, hath God said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'↗ (Torah GEN.3.1, JPS 1917)

yeah — Everyday, meaning 1: (informal) Yes.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Said to show you are listening or to agree.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: yeah, right (informal, sarcastic).↗ e.g. I don't believe that.↗ Example: "Do you want a biscuit?" "↗ Yeah, please."↗ · Yeah, I've finished my homework.↗ · Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you!↗ · "I'll clean my room tomorrow." "↗ Yeah, right."↗ · Yeah, that's the answer: 24.↗ · (Australia, NZ) "Yeah, nah, I'm all right."↗

year — Everyday, meaning 1: A year is the time it takes for the Earth to go once around the sun. A year has 12 months, 52 weeks and 365 days.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A leap year has 366 days.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A year is also a class at school: «Year 4» (UK, Australia, New Zealand).↗ Everyday, meaning 4: «Years» can mean a long time: «I haven't seen her for years».↗ Example: Tom is 9 years old.↗ · She saves 100 dollars a year.↗ · In 3 years he will be 12.↗ · A year has 12 months.↗ · A year is 365 days, and a leap year is 366 days.↗ · My brother is in Year 6.↗ · We go camping every year.↗ · The Earth takes a year to travel around the sun.↗ · A month passed; a year passed.↗ · And Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Kenan.↗ (Torah GEN.5.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And Kenan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel.↗ (Torah GEN.5.12, JPS 1917)↗ · And Shelah lived thirty years, and begot Eber.↗ (Torah GEN.11.14, JPS 1917)↗ · And Jephthah judged Israel six years.↗ (Prophets JDG.12.7, JPS 1917)↗ · And he judged Israel seven years.↗ (Prophets JDG.12.9, JPS 1917)↗ · And he judged Israel twenty years.↗ (Prophets JDG.16.31, JPS 1917)↗

yearling — Everyday, meaning 1: An animal in its second year of life, after its first birthday and before its second, such as a young horse, deer or seal.↗ Example: The farmer sold a yearling calf at the fair.↗ · The yearlings played near their mothers.↗ · Kotick danced with the yearling seals.↗ · A yearling horse is not yet fully grown.↗