YERK, y[.e]rk, _v.t._ to throw or thrust with a sudden, quick motion, to
jerk: (_obs._) to beat, rouse, excite (_Scot._): to bind or tie with a
jerk. [Akin to _jerk_.]
YES, yes, _adv._ ay: a word of affirmation or consent. [A.S. _gise_,
_gese_--_geá_, yea, _sý_, let it be.]
YESTER, yes't[.e]r, _adj._ relating to yesterday: last.--_n._ YES'TERDAY,
the day last past.--_adv._ on the day last past.--_ns._ YES'TEREVE, -N,
YES'TEREVENING, the evening last past; YES'TERMORN, YES'TERMORNING, the
morning last past; YES'TERNIGHT, the night last past; YES'TERYEAR, last
year.--_adv._ YESTREEN' (_Scot._), last evening, contracted from
_yestereven_. [A.S. _geostran-_, _giestran-_ (only in compounds); Ger.
_gestern_; cf. L. _hesternus_, Gr. _chthes_.]
YET, yet, _adv._ in addition: besides: at the same time: up to the present
time: hitherto: even: however.--_conj._ nevertheless: however. [A.S. _git_,
_gita_; Ger. _jetz_.]
YETT, yet, _n._ (_Scot._) a gate, door--another term of _yate_, itself a
dialectal form of _gate_.
YEVE, y[=e]v, _v.t._ to give:--_pa.p._ (_Spens._) YEV'EN.
YEW, [=u], _n._ a tree of genus _Taxus_--natural order _Taxaceæ_, itself a
suborder of _Coniferæ_--widely diffused over the whole northern parts of
the world, with narrow lanceolate or linear leaves (in Europe long planted
in graveyards), yielding an elastic wood good for bows: its wood.--_adj._
YEW'EN (_Spens._), made of yew.--_n._ YEW'-TREE. [A.S. _íw_, _éow_, _éoh_;
Ger. _eibe_, Ir. _iubhar_.]
YEX, yeks, _v.i._ (_prov._) to hiccup.--_n._ a hiccup.
YGGDRASIL, ig'dra-sil, _n._ (_Scand. myth._) the ash-tree binding together
heaven, earth, and hell, and extending its branches over the whole world
and above the heavens--according to Vigfusson and Powell, not a primitive
Scandinavian idea, but originating after the contact with Christianity, and
so a corruption of the cross [Ice. _Yggdra Syll_; cf. _Yggr_, _Uggr_, a
surname of Odin, _syll_, sill. Magnusson explains as 'Odin's horse,' Ice.
_sleipner_, horse.]
YIDDISH, yid'ish, _n._ a strange compound of very corrupt Hebrew and
ancient or provincial German spoken by the commoner Jews--extensively in
the East End of London.--_ns._ YID, YIDD'ISHER, a Jew. [Ger. _jüdisch_,
Jewish.]
YIELD, y[=e]ld, _v.t._ to resign: to grant: to give out: to produce: to
allow.--_v.i._ to submit: to comply with: to give place.--_n._ amount
yielded: product.--_adj._ YIELD'ABLE, that may be yielded: inclined to
yield.--_ns._ YIELD'ABLENESS; YIELD'ER.--_adj._ YIELD'ING, inclined to give
way or comply: compliant.--_adv._ YIELD'INGLY.--_n._ YIELD'INGNESS.--YIELD
UP THE GHOST (see 'Give up the ghost,' under GIVE). [A.S. _gieldan_,
_gildan_, to pay, _gelten_, Ice. _gjalda_.]