Y, the twenty fifth letter of the English Alphabet, is taken from the Greed. At the beginning of words, it is called an articulation or consonant, and with some propriety perhaps, as it brings the root of the tongue in close contact with the lower part of the palate, and nearly in the position to which the close g brings it. Hence it has happened that in a great number of words, g has been changed into y as the Sax. Gear, into year; geornian, into yearn; gyllan, into yell; gealew, into yellow.
In the middle and at the end of words, y is precisely the same as I. It is sounded as I long, when accented, as in defy, rely; and as I short, when unaccented, as in vanity, glory, synonymous. This latter sound is a vowel. At the beginning of words, y answers to the German and Dutch J.
Y, as a numeral, stands for 150, and with a dash over it, for 150, 000.
YACHT, noun yot. [G., It is properly a boat drawn by horses.] A vessel of state used to convey princes, embassadors and other great personages from one place to another. The royal yachts are rigged as ketches, except the principal one, which is equipped as a ship. The smaller yachts are rigged as sloops.
YAGER, noun Yawger. [G., to chase.] A horseman.
YAHOO, noun A word used by Chesterfield, I suppose for a savage, or a person resembling a savage.
YAK, noun A species of ox, with cylindric horns curving outwards, long pendent hair, and villous horselike tail; the grunting ox of Pennant. This ox is found in Thibet.
YAM, noun A large esculent root growing in tropical climates.
YAMBOO, noun A kind of plant producing fruit like a plum.
YANKEE, noun A corrupt pronunciation of the word English by the native Indians of America.
YANOLITE, noun A mineral, called also axinite or thumerstone, whose crystals resemble an ax.
YAP, to bark, is not a legitimate word.
YAPON, noun The cassine or South Sea tea. The Ileex cassine or youpon, is a shrub growing in the S. States, used as a tea and a medicine.
YARD, noun
1. A measure of three feet or thirty six inches. It is just seven niths of the Paris ell.
2. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of or around a house or barn. The yard in front of a house is called a court, and sometimes a court-yard. In the United States, a small yard is fenced round a barn for confining cattle, and called barn-yard or cow-yard.
3. In ships, a long slender piece of timber, nearly cylindrical, suspended upon the mast, by which a sail is extended.
YARD of land, in old books, a certain quantity of land, but different in different countries. In some counties it was 15 acres, in others 20 or 24, and even 40.
Dock-yard, a place where ships are laid up.
Prison yard primarily an inclosure about a prison, or attached to it. Hence liberty of the yard is a liberty granted to persons imprisoned for debt, of walking in the yard or within any other limits prescribed by the law, on his giving bond not to go beyond those limits.
YARD, verb transitive To confine cattle to the yard; as, to yard cows. [A farmers word.]
YARE, adjective [See Eager.] Ready; dextrous; eager.
YARELY, adverb Readily; dextrously; skillfully.
YARN, noun
1. Spun wool; woolen thread; but it is applied also to other species of thread, as to cotton and linen.
2. In rope-making, one of the threads of which a rope is composed. It is spun from hemp.
YARR, verb intransitive To growl or snarl, as a dog. [Not in use.]
YARRISH, adjective Having a rough dry taste. [Local.]
YARROW, noun A plant of the genus Achillea; the milfoil, or plant of a thousand leaves.
YATE, in the north of England, is used for gate.
YAW, noun The African name of a raspberry.
YAW, verb intransitive
1. To rise in blisters, breaking in white froth, as cane juice in the sugar works. [See Yew.]
2. In navigation, to deviate from the line of her course, as a ship.
YAWL, noun A small ships boat, usually rowed by four or six oars.
YAWL, verb intransitive To cry out. [See Yell.]
YAWN, verb intransitive [G., Gr.]
1. To gape; to oscitate; to have the mouth open involuntarily through drowsiness or dullness.
The lazy, yawning drone.
And while above he spends his breath, the yawning audience nod beneath.
2. To open wide; as, wide yawns the gulf below.
3. To express desire by yawning; as, to yawn for fat livings.
YAWN, noun
1. A gaping; an involuntary opening of the mouth from drowsiness; oscitation.
One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present.
2. An opening wide.
YAWNING, participle present tense
1. Gaping; opening wide.
2. adjective Sleepy; drowsy; dull.
YAWNING, noun The act of gaping or opening wide.
YAWS, noun A severe cutaneous disease, which is indigenous in Africa, and from Africa it has been introduced into the West Indies. It is said to be so named form yaw, a raspberry. It is propagated solely by the infection of the matter of the pustules, applied to a part of the body where the skin is broken. It affects a person but once.