Yearn, v. i. [OE. yernen, ernen, eornen, AS. geornian, gyrnan, fr. georn desirous, eager; akin to OS. gern desirous, girnean, gernean, to desire, D. gaarne gladly, willingly, G. gern, OHG. gerno, adv., gern, a., G. gier greed, OHG. gir greed, ger desirous, gern to desire, G. begehren, Icel. girna to desire, gjarn eager, Goth. faíhugaírns covetous, gaírnjan to desire, and perhaps to Gr. chai`rein to rejoice, be glad, Skr. hary to desire, to like. √33.] To be filled with longing desire; to be harassed or rendered uneasy with longing, or feeling the want of a thing; to strain with emotions of affection or tenderness; to long; to be eager.
Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother; and he sought where to weep.
Gen. xliii. 30.
Your mother's heart yearns towards you.
Addison.
Yearn"ful (?), a. [OE. eornful, AS. geornfull.] Desirous. [Obs.] Ormulum. P. Fletcher.
Yearn"ing*ly, adv. With yearning.
Yearn"ings (?), n. pl. [Cf. AS. geirnan, geyrnan, to rum. See 4th Earn.] The maws, or stomachs, of young calves, used as a rennet for curdling milk. [Scot.]
Yearth (?), n. The earth. [Obs.] "Is my son dead or hurt or on the yerthe felled?" Ld. Berners.
Yeast (?), n. [OE. eest, est, AS. gist; akin to D. gest, gist, G. gischt, gäscht, OHG. jesan, jerian, to ferment, G. gischen, gäschen, gähren, Gr. &?; boiled, zei^n to boil, Skr. yas. √111.]
1. The foam, or troth (top yeast), or the sediment (bottom yeast), of beer or other in fermentation, which contains the yeast plant or its spores, and under certain conditions produces fermentation in saccharine or farinaceous substances; a preparation used for raising dough for bread or cakes, and making it light and puffy; barm; ferment.