ye ['yē] -pron

  1. you used orig. only as a plural pronoun of the second person in the subjective case and now used esp. in ecclesiastical or literary language and in various English dialects
  2. the
    • Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe

yea ['yā] -adv

  1. yes used in oral voting
  2. more than this : not only so but used to introduce a more explicit or emphatic phrase
    • yet the impression, yea the evidence, is inescapable -- J. G. Harrison
  3. affirmation, assent
  4. an affirmative vote
  5. a person casting a yea vote

yeah ['yeə, 'yaə] -adv

  1. yes

yean ['yēn, 'ēn] -vi

  1. to bring forth young used of a sheep or goat

yean·ling [-liŋ, -lən] -n

  1. lamb, kid

year ['yir] -n

  1. the period of about 365 1/ 4solar days required for one revolution of the earth around the sun
  2. the time required for the apparent sun to return to an arbitrary fixed or moving reference point in the sky
  3. the time in which a planet completes a revolution about the sun
    • two Mercury year s
  4. a cycle in the Gregorian calendar of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning with January and ending with December
  5. a period of time equal to one year of the Gregorian calendar but beginning at a different time
  6. a calendar year specified usu. by a number
    • died in the year 1900
  7. a time or era having a special significance
    • their glory year s
  8. 12 months that constitute a measure of age or duration
    • her 21st year
    often used in combination
    • a year -old child
  9. age
    • wise beyond her year s
  10. the final stage of the normal life span
  11. a period of time (as the usu. 9-month period in which a school is in session) other than a calendar year

year·book [-,bu̇k] -n

  1. a book published yearly as a report or summary of statistics or facts : annual
  2. a school publication that is compiled usu. by a graduating class and that serves as a record of the year's activities

yearend ['yir-'end] -n

  1. the end of usu. the fiscal year
  2. made, occurring, or existing at the year-end
    • a yearend report

year·ling ['yir-liŋ, 'yər-lən] -n, adj

  1. : one that is a year old: as
  2. an animal one year old or in the second year of its age
  3. a racehorse between January 1 of the year after the year in which it was foaled and the next January 1

year·long ['yir-'lȯŋ] -adj

  1. lasting through a year

year·ly ['yir-lē] -adj

  1. reckoned by the year
  2. occurring, appearing, made, done, or acted upon every year or once a year : annual

yearly -adv

  1. every year : annually

Yearly Meeting -n

  1. an organization uniting several Quarterly Meetings of the Society of Friends

yearn ['yərn] -vi, n, adv

  1. to long persistently, wistfully, or sadly
    • yearn s to make a difference
  2. to feel tenderness or compassion

yearn·ing ['yər-niŋ] -n

  1. a tender or urgent longing
    • a yearning for justice

year of grace

  1. a calendar year of the Christian era
    • the year of grace 1993

yearround ['yir-'rau̇nd] -adj, adv, n

  1. occurring, effective, employed, staying, or operating for the full year : not seasonal
    • a yearround resort

yeasay·er ['yā-,sā-ər, -,ser] -n

  1. one whose attitude is that of confident affirmation
  2. yes-man

yeast ['yēst, esp Southern & Midland 'ēst] -n

  1. a yellowish surface froth or sediment that occurs esp. in saccharine liquids (as fruit juices) in which it promotes alcoholic fermentation, consists largely of cells of a fungus (as the saccharomyces, Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and is used esp. in the making of alcoholic liquors and as a leaven in baking
  2. a commercial product containing yeast fungi in a moist or dry medium
  3. a unicellular fungus that is present and functionally active in yeast, usu. has little or no mycelium, and reproduces by budding
  4. any of various similar fungi
  5. the foam or spume of waves
  6. something that causes ferment or activity
    • were all seething with the yeast of revolt -- J. F. Dobie
  7. ferment, froth

yeast infection -n

  1. infection of the vagina with an overgrowth of a normally present candidal fungus ( Candida albicans) that is characterized by a discharge and inflammation
  2. an infection (as thrush) caused by a yeast fungus

yeasty ['yēs-tē, 'ēs-tē] -adj, n

  1. of, relating to, or resembling yeast
    • a yeasty flavor
  2. immature, unsettled
  3. marked by change
    • a yeasty period in history
  4. full of vitality
  5. frivolous
  6. frivolous

yech ['yək, 'yək̲, 'yek, 'yek̲] -interj

  1. used to express rejection or disgust

yegg ['yeg, 'yāg] -n

  1. safecracker
  2. robber

yell ['yel] -vb, n

  1. to utter a loud cry, scream, or shout
  2. to give a cheer usu. in unison
  3. to utter or declare with or as if with a yell : shout
  4. scream, shout
  5. a usu. rhythmic cheer used esp. in schools or colleges to encourage athletic teams

yel·low ['ye-(,)lō, dial 'ye-lər or 'ya-] -adj

  1. of the color yellow
  2. become yellowish through age, disease, or discoloration : sallow
  3. having a yellowish or light brown complexion or skin
  4. featuring sensational or scandalous items or ordinary news sensationally distorted
    • yellow journalism
  5. mean, cowardly

yellow -n

  1. : something yellow or marked by a yellow color: as
  2. a person having yellowish or light brown skin
  3. the yolk of an egg
  4. a color whose hue resembles that of ripe lemons or sunflowers or is that of the portion of the spectrum lying between green and orange
  5. a pigment or dye that colors yellow
  6. jaundice
  7. any of several plant diseases caused esp. by phytoplasmas and marked by yellowing of the foliage and stunting
  8. to become or turn yellow
  9. to make yellow : give a yellow tinge or color to
    • yellow ed by time

yellow bile -n

  1. a humor believed in medieval physiology to be secreted by the liver and to cause irascibility

yellow birch -n

  1. a large birch ( Betula alleghaniensissyn. B. lutea) of chiefly eastern No. America with thin lustrous gray or yellow bark forming plates with ragged edges in older trees
  2. its strong hard dark brown to reddish-brown wood

yel·low·cake ['ye-lō-,kāk, 'ye-lə-] -n

  1. partially refined uranium ore that is often used as an intermediate step in the production of nuclear weapons

yel·lowdog [,ye-lō-'dȯg, -lə-'dȯg] -adj

  1. mean, contemptible
  2. of or relating to opposition to trade unionism or a labor union

yellowdog contract -n

  1. an employment contract in which a worker disavows membership in and agrees not to join a labor union in order to get a job

yellow dwarf -n

  1. any of several plant diseases of cereal grasses (as oats and barley), onions, potatoes, tomatoes, or tobacco that are characterized by yellowing and stunting and are caused by viruses

yellow fever -n

  1. an acute infectious disease of warm regions (as sub-Saharan Africa and tropical So. America) marked by sudden onset, prostration, fever, and headache and sometimes albuminuria, jaundice, and hemorrhage and caused by a flavivirus (species Yellow fever virusof the genus Flavivirus) transmitted esp. by the yellow-fever mosquito

yellowfever mosquito -n

  1. a small dark-colored mosquito ( Aedes aegypti) that is the usual vector of yellow fever

yel·low·fin tuna ['ye-lō-,fin-, 'ye-lə-] -n

  1. a nearly cosmopolitan tuna ( Thunnus albacares) with yellowish fins called also yellowfin

yellowgreen alga -n

  1. any of a class (Xanthophyceae of the division Chrysophyta) of algae with the chlorophyll masked by brown or yellow pigment

yel·low·ham·mer ['ye-lō-,ha-mər, 'ye-lə-] -n

  1. a common Palearctic finch ( Emberiza citrinellaof the family Emberizidae) having the male largely yellow and chestnut called also yellow bunting
  2. yellow-shafted flicker

yellow jack -n

  1. yellow fever
  2. a yellowish carangid marine food fish ( Caranx bartholomaei) found from Massachusetts to Brazil

yellow jacket -n

  1. any of various small yellow-marked vespid wasps (esp. genus Vespula) that commonly nest in the ground and can sting repeatedly and painfully
  2. pentobarbital esp. in a yellow capsule

yellow jessamine -n

  1. a twining No. American evergreen shrub ( Gelsemium sempervirensof the family Loganiaceae) with fragrant yellow flowers called also yellow jasmine

yel·low·legs ['ye-lō-,legz, 'ye-lə-, -,lāgz] -n pl but sing or pl in constr

  1. : either of two American shorebirds of the sandpiper family with yellow legs:
  2. greater yellowlegs
  3. lesser yellowlegs

yellow ocher -n

  1. a mixture of limonite usu. with clay and silica used as a pigment
  2. a moderate orange yellow

yellow pages -n pl

  1. the section of a telephone book that lists business and professional firms alphabetically by category and that includes classified advertising
  2. a listing of products or services that is independently published
  3. a directory resembling yellow pages

yellow perch -n

  1. a common No. American freshwater fish ( Perca flavescens) of the perch family that has yellowish sides with dark green vertical bands and is a popular food and sport fish

yellow peril -n

  1. a danger to Western civilization held to arise from expansion of the power and influence of eastern Asian peoples
  2. a threat to Western living standards from the influx of eastern Asian laborers willing to work for very low wages

yellow pine -n

  1. any of several No. American pines (as a Ponderosa pine or longleaf pine) with yellowish wood
  2. the wood of a yellow pine

yellow poplar -n

  1. tulip tree
  2. tulipwood

yellow rain -n

  1. a yellow substance that has occurred in southeastern Asia as a mist or as spots on rocks and vegetation and has been held to be a biological warfare agent used in the Vietnam War but appears upon scientific examination to be identical to pollen-laden bee feces

yel·lowshaft·ed flicker ['ye-lō-,shaf-təd-, 'ye-lə-] -n

  1. a flicker of eastern No. America that is golden yellow on the underside of the tail and wings, has a red mark on the nape, and in the male has a black streak on each cheek

yellow spot -n

  1. macula lutea

yel·low·tail ['ye-lō-,tāl, 'ye-lə-] -n

  1. : any of various fishes having a yellow or yellowish tail: as
  2. any of several carangid fishes (genus Seriola)
  3. a food and sport fish ( S. lalandi) of the Pacific and Indian oceans having a yellow stripe along each side of the body
  4. silver perch
  5. a snapper ( Ocyurus chrysurus) that is a sport and food fish found from Massachusetts to Brazil and is olive to bluish above with yellow spots and a broad yellow stripe along each side of the body called also yellowtail snapper

yellowtail flounder -n

  1. a flounder ( Limanda ferruginea) of the western Atlantic that is brownish above with rusty spots and yellow in front of the tail fin

yel·low·throat [-,thrōt] -n

  1. any of several largely olive American warblers (genus Geothlypis)
  2. one ( G. trichas) with yellow breast and throat and in the male a black mask

yel·low·ware [-,wer] -n

  1. pottery made from buff clay and covered with a yellowish transparent clay

yel·low·wood [-,wu̇d] -n

  1. any of various trees having yellowish wood or yielding a yellow extract
  2. a leguminous tree ( Cladrastis lutea) of the southern U.S. having showy white fragrant flowers and yielding a yellow dye
  3. the wood of a yellowwood tree

yelp ['yelp] -n

  1. a sharp shrill bark or cry (as of a dog or turkey)
  2. squeal
  3. to utter a sharp quick shrill cry
    • dogs yelp
  4. to utter with a yelp

yelp·er ['yel-pər] -n

  1. one that yelps
  2. a yelping dog
  3. an instrument used by hunters to produce a call or whistle imitating the yelp of the wild turkey hen
  4. a strong desire or propensity
    • a yen for the sea
  5. urge, craving
    • a yen for ice cream
  6. to have an intense desire : long

yenshee ['yen-'shē] -n

  1. the residue formed in the bowl of an opium pipe by smoking

yen·ta ['yen-tə] -n

  1. one that meddles
  2. blabbermouth, gossip

yeo·man ['yō-mən] -n

  1. an attendant or officer in a royal or noble household
  2. a person attending or assisting another : retainer
  3. yeoman of the guard
  4. a naval petty officer who performs clerical duties
  5. a person who owns and cultivates a small farm
  6. one belonging to a class of English freeholders below the gentry
  7. a person of the social rank of yeoman
  8. one that performs great and loyal service
    • did a yeoman' s job in seeing the program through

yeo·man·ly [-lē] -adv

  1. in a manner befitting a yeoman : bravely

yeomanly -adj

  1. of, relating to, or having the rank of a yeoman
  2. becoming or suitable to a yeoman : sturdy, loyal
    • yeomanly surveillance efforts

yeoman of the guard

  1. a member of a military corps attached to the British royal household that serves as ceremonial attendants of the sovereign and as warders of the Tower of London

yeo·man·ry ['yō-mən-rē] -n

  1. the body of yeomen
  2. the body of small landed proprietors of the middle class
  3. a British volunteer cavalry force created from yeomen in 1761 as a home defense force and reorganized in 1907 as part of the territorial force

yep ['yep, or with glottal stop instead of p] -adv

  1. yes

yer·ba ma·te [,yer-bə-'mä-,tā, ,yər-] -n

  1. mate

yerk ['yərk] -vt

  1. to beat vigorously : thrash
  2. to attack or excite vigorously : goad
  3. a lashing out : kick
  4. jerk

yes ['yes] -adv

  1. used as a function word to express assent or agreement
    • are you ready? Yes, I am
  2. used as a function word usu. to introduce correction or contradiction of a negative assertion or direction
    • don't say that Yes, I will
  3. used as a function word to introduce a more emphatic or explicit phrase
  4. used as a function word to indicate uncertainty or polite interest or attentiveness
  5. an affirmative reply : yea

ye·shi·va [yə-'shē-və] -n

  1. a school for talmudic study
  2. an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary
  3. a Jewish day school providing secular and religious instruction

yesman ['yes-,man] -n

  1. a person who agrees with everything that is said
  2. one who endorses or supports without criticism every opinion or proposal of an associate or superior

yes·ter ['yes-tər] -adj

  1. of or relating to yesterday

yes·ter·day ['yes-tər-(,)dā, -dē] -adv, adj

  1. on the day last past : on the day preceding today
  2. at a time not long past : only a short time ago
    • I wasn't born yesterday

yesterday -n

  1. the day last past : the day next before the present
  2. recent time : time not long past
  3. past time usu. used in pl.

yes·ter·night ['yes-tər-,nīt] -adv

  1. on the night last past

yesternight -n

  1. the night last past

yes·ter·year ['yes-tər-,yir] -n, adv

  1. last year
  2. time gone by
  3. the recent past

yes·treen [ye-'strēn] -n, adv

  1. last evening or night

yet ['yet] -adv

  1. in addition : besides
    • gives yet another reason
  2. even
    • a yet higher speed
  3. on top of everything else : no less
    • had wells going dry. Between two large lakes, yet -- J. H. Buzard
  4. up to now : so far
    • hasn't done much yet
    often used to imply the negative of a following infinitive
    • have yet to win a game
  5. at this or that time : so soon as now
    • not time to go yet
  6. continuously up to the present or a specified time : still
    • is yet a new country
  7. at a future time : eventually
    • may yet see the light
  8. nevertheless, however
  9. but nevertheless : but

ye·ti ['ye-tē, 'yā-] -n

  1. abominable snowman

yeuk ['yük] -vi

  1. itch

yew ['yü] -n

  1. : any of a genus ( Taxusof the family Taxaceae, the yew family) of evergreen gymnospermous trees and shrubs with stiff linear leaves and seeds surrounded by a fleshy red aril: as
  2. a long-lived Eurasian tree or shrub ( T. baccata) called also English yew
  3. a low straggling bush ( T. canadensis) of the eastern U.S. and Canada
  4. pacific yew
  5. the wood of a yew
  6. the heavy fine-grained wood of the English yew
  7. an archery bow made of yew