# Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary 1908/Y Y-wis

fāte, fär; mē, hėr; mīne; mōte; mūte; mōōn; then.
the twenty-fifth letter of our alphabet.—Y=150; Y=150,000.—ns. Y′-level, an engineers' spirit-level, so called because of the telescope formerly resting on 'Y's,' capable of being rotated at will—now substituted by the 'dumpy-level'—also Wye-level; Y′-moth, the gamma, a destructive noctuid moth, with a silvery Y-shaped mark on the upper wings; Y′-track, a short track laid at right angles to a railway-line, connected with it by two switches resembling a Y, used instead of a turn-table for reversing engines.
Yacca, yak′a, n. a kind of evergreen in the West Indies.
Yacht, yot, n. a sailing or steam vessel, elegantly fitted up for pleasure-trips or racing, or as a vessel of state.—v.i. to sail in a yacht.—adj. Yacht′-built, built on the model of a yacht.—ns. Yacht′-club, a club of yachtsmen; Yacht′er, one engaged in sailing a yacht; Yacht′ing, sailing in a yacht; Yachts′man, one who keeps or sails a yacht; Yachts′manship, the art of sailing a yacht. [Dut. jagt (formerly jacht), from jagen, to chase=Old High Ger. jagōn, Ger. jagen, to hunt.]
Yaff, yaf, v.i. (Scot.) to bark like a snarling dog.
Yaffingale, yaf′ing-gāl, n. (Tenn.) the green woodpecker. [From Prov. Eng. yaffle (and under the influence of nightingale), from the sound.]
Yager, yā′gėr, n. formerly one of various bodies of light infantry in German armies, largely recruited from foresters, now one of various corps of infantry or cavalry, generally riflemen.—Also Jä′ger. [Ger. jäger, a huntsman.]
Yagger, yag′ėr, n. (Scot.) a peddler, a stroller. [Dut. jager, a huntsman—jagen, to hunt.]
Yahoo, ya-hōō′, n. a name given by Swift in Gulliver's Travels to a class of animals which have the forms of men but the understanding and passions of the lowest brutes: a despicable character.
Yahveh, yä-vā′=Jehovah.—n. Yah′vist=Jehovist.
Yak, yak, n. a species of ox found in Tibet, and domesticated there, covered all over with a thick coat of long silky hair, that of the lower parts hanging down almost to the ground. [Tibetan.]
Yakut, ya-kōōt′, n. a member of a mixed Turkish race in Siberia, in the Lena district.
Yald, Yauld, yäld, adj. (Scot.) active, supple.
Yam, yam, n. a large root like the potato growing in tropical countries. [Port. inhame.]
Yama, yam′a, n. in Hindu mythology, the first mortal progenitor of the human race. [Sans.]
Yamadou, yam′a-dōō, n. an oil from the yellow-nutmeg.
Yammer, yam′ėr, v.i. to lament, wail: to whine.—n. Yamm′ering. [A.S. geómerian—geómor, sad.]
Yamun, yä′mun, n. the office and residence of a mandarin. [Chin.]
Yank, yangk, v.t. to carry, move with a jerk (with out, over).—n. (Scot.) a blow, buffet.—n. Yank′er (Scot.), a rap: a big lie.—adj. Yank′ing (Scot.), active: (U.S.) pulling, jerking.—n. Yank′ie (Scot.), a scold: an impudent woman. [Scand., Sw. prov. jakka, to rove about, Ice. jaga, to move about.]
Yankee, yang′kē, n. a citizen of the New England States in America: an inhabitant of the United States—also Yank (coll.).—ns. Yank′eedom, the country inhabited by Yankees: Yankees generally; Yank′ee-Doo′dle, a Yankee, from a popular air—also adj.—adj. Yank′eefied.—n. Yank′eeism, Yankee characteristics. [Perh. a corr. of English, or of Fr. Anglais, by the North American Indians.]
Yap, yap, v.i. (prov.) to yelp, bark constantly.—n. a yelp: a cur.—n. Yap′ster, a dog.
Yapok, Yapock, yap′ok, n. the S. Amer. water-opossum. [From the river Oyapok, in French Guiana.]
Yapon, yä′pon, n. a bushy evergreen shrub of the holly family, native to the S.E. coasts of the U.S., its leaves yielding the medicinal 'black drink' of the Indians.—Also Yau′pon, Yu′pon. [Most prob. Amer. Ind.]
Yapp, yap, n. a kind of limp leather binding in which the cover overlaps the edge of the book.
Yard, yärd, n. an English measure of 3 feet or 36 inches: a long beam on a mast for spreading square sails: the penis.—ns. Yard′-arm, either half of a ship's yard (right or left) from the centre to the end; Yard′stick, a stick 3 feet long, any standard of measurement—also Yard′wand. [A.S. gyrd, gierd, a rod, measure; Dut. garde, Ger. gerte; further conn. with Goth. gazds, a stick, L. hasta, a spear.]
Yard, yärd, n. an enclosed place, esp. near a building, as 'prison-yard,' or where any special work is carried on, as 'brick-yard,' 'wood-yard,' 'dock-yard,' 'navy-yard:' a garden.—v.t. to enclose in a yard.—ns. Yard′age, the use of a yard, or the charge made for such: the cutting of coal at so much per yard; Yard′-land, the amount of land held by a tenant in villeinage, in older English usage, varying from 15 to 40 acres; Yard′man, the person having special charge of a farm-yard: one employed in a railway-yard in making up trains, &c.; Yard′-mas′ter, one who has the special oversight of a railway-yard. [A.S. geard, hedge, enclosure; Ger. garten; conn. with L. hortus, Gr. chortos.]
Yare, yār, adj. ready: dexterous: quick: easily handled, manageable.—adv. Yare′ly (Shak.), promptly: dexterously: skilfully. [A.S. gearu, gearo, ready, prompt; Dut. gaar, dressed, Ger. gar, wholly.]
Yarn, yärn, n. spun thread: one of the threads of a rope: a sailor's story (spun out to some length), a story generally.—v.i. to tell stories. [A.S. gearn, thread; Ice. and Ger. garn.]
Yarpha, yär′fa, n. peaty soil in Shetland.
Yarr, yär, n. (prov.) the corn spurry.
Yarrish, yär′ish, adj. (prov.) having a rough, dry taste.
Yarrow, yar′ō, n. the plant milfoil. [A.S. gearuwe; Ger. garbe.]
Yashmak, yash′mak, n. the double veil worn by Moslem women in public, the eyes only being uncovered. [Ar.]
Yasht, yäsht, n. in the Zend-Avesta, one of a collection of hymns and prayers.
Yataghan, yat′a-gan, n. a long Turkish dagger, without guard, usually curved. [Turk.]
Yate, yāt, n. (Spens.) a gate.
Yaud, yäd, n. Scotch form of jade.
Yaup, yäp, n. (prov.) the blue titmouse.
Yaup, yäp, v.i. (Scot.) to be hungry.—adj. hungry.
Yaw, yaw, v.i. to move unsteadily: (naut.) to deviate temporarily or to turn out of the line of her course, as a ship.—n. a deviation from the course. [Scand., cf. Norw. gaga, to bend back, Ice. gagr, bent back.]
Yawl, yawl, v.i. to howl. [Cf. Gowl.]
Yawl, yawl, n. a ship's small boat, generally with four or six oars: a small fishing-boat: a small sailing-boat with jigger and curtailed mainboom. [Dut. jol. Cf. Jollyboat.]
Yawn, yawn, v.i. to open the jaws involuntarily from drowsiness: to gape: to gape with astonishment.—n. the opening of the mouth from drowsiness.—adj. Yawn′ing, gaping: opening wide: drowsy.—n. act of opening wide or gaping: a modification of the ordinary movements of respiration, in which the inspiration is deeper than usual, accompanied by a kind of spasmodic contraction of the muscles which depress the lower jaw, and by a great elevation of the ribs and to some degree of the shoulder-blades.—adv. Yawn′ingly. [A.S. gánian, to yawn—gínan, pa.t. gán, to gape widely; Ice. gína, to gape, Gr. chainein, to gape.]
Yaws, yaws, n. a tropical epidemic and contagious disease of the skin—also Frambœsia, Button scurvy, Verruga Peruviana, Buba or Boba, Patta, Tetia, &c.—adj. Yaw′ey, pertaining to the yaws. [African yaw, a raspberry.]
Y-clad, i-klad′, an obsolete form of clad, pa.p. of clothe.
Yclept, or Ycleped, i-klept′, pa.p. (obs.) called. [Clepe.]
Ye, yē, pron. the nom. pl. of the 2d person—in old English ye was always used as a nominative, and you as a dative or accusative, as in the English Bible. [M. E. ye, ȝe, nom.; your, ȝour, gen.; you, ȝou, yow, dat. and accus. pl. A.S. ge, nom. ye; eówer, gen. of you; eów, to you, you, dat. and accus.]
Yea, yā, adv. yes: verily.—adj. (B.) true.—n. an affirmative vote. [A.S. geá; Dut. and Ger. ja, Ice. já. Cf. Yes.]
Yead, Yede, yēd, v.i. (Spens.) to go: to march:—pr.p. yead′ing; pa.p. yōde. [A.S. eode, went, pa.t. of gán, to go.]
Yean, yēn, v.t. to bring forth young.—n. Yean′ling (Shak.), the young of a sheep: a lamb. [A.S. éanian, to bring forth—eacen, pregnant.]
Year, yēr, n. a period of time determined by the revolution of the earth in its orbit, and embracing the four seasons, popularly a period beginning with 1st January and ending with 31st December, consisting of 365 days (excepting every fourth year, called 'bissextile' or 'leap-year,' in which one day is added to February, making the number 366)—the Calendar, Civil, or Legal year: a space of twelve calendar months: (pl.) period of life, esp. age or old age.—ns. Year′-book, a book published annually, containing reports of judicial cases, or of discoveries, events, &c.; Year′ling, an animal a year old.—adj. a year old.—adjs. Year′long, lasting a year; Year′ly, happening every year: lasting a year.—adv. once a year: from year to year.—Year of Grace, or of our Lord, date of the Christian era.—Anomalistic year (see Anomaly); Astronomical year, the interval between one vernal equinox and the next, or one complete mean apparent circuit of the ecliptic by the sun, or mean motion through 360° of longitude—365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 49.7 seconds—called also the Equinoctial, Solar, or Tropical year; Canicular year—the ancient Egyptian—counted from one heliacal rising of Sirius to the next—(the Canicular Cycle was the cycle of 1461 years of 365 days each, or 1460 Julian years, also called the Sothiac period); Ecclesiastical year, the year as arranged in the ecclesiastical calendar, with saints' days, festivals, &c.; Embolismic year, a year of thirteen lunar months or 384 days, occurring in a lunisolar calendar like that of the Jews; Hebrew year, a lunisolar year, of 12 or 13 months of 29 or 30 days—in every cycle of nineteen years the 3d, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th having thirteen months instead of twelve; Julian year, a period of 365¼ days, thus causing an annual error of about 11 minutes—corrected by dropping 10 days in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII.—not adopted in England till 3d September 1752, which became September 14 (see Style); Legal year, the year by which dates were reckoned, which till 1752 began in England on 25th March, that date being originally chosen by Dionysius Exiguus as being the Annunciation—exactly nine months before Christmas. In Scotland the year began on 1st January since 1600.—The most common New Year's Days were these four—(a) 25th December; (b) 25th March; (c) Easter; (d) 1st January. Thus England used both the first and second from the 6th century to 1066; the fourth till 1155; then the second till the day after 31st December 1751, which was called 1st January 1752. Scotland used the second till 1599, when the day after 31st December 1599 was called 1st January 1600. France under Charlemagne used the first, and afterwards also the third and second till 1563; Lunar year, a period of twelve lunar months or 354 days, Platonic year, a cycle of years at the end of which the heavenly bodies are in the same place as at the Creation—also Great, or Perfect, year; Sabbatic, -al, year (see Sabbath); Sidereal year, the period required by the sun to move from a given star to the same star again—affected by Nutation only, one of the most invariable quantities which nature affords us, having a mean value of 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, 9.6 seconds.—In years, advanced in age. [A.S. geár, gér; Ger. jahr, Ice. ár, Gr. hōra, season.]
Yearn, yėrn, v.i. to feel earnest desire: to feel uneasiness, as from longing or pity.—n. Yearn′ing, earnest desire, tenderness, or pity.—adj. longing.—adv. Yearn′ingly. [A.S. giernan, giernian, to desire—georn, desirous, eager; cf. Ger. begehren. to long for.]
Yearn, yėrn, v.i. and v.t. (Shak.) to grieve. [M. E. ermen—A.S. yrman, to vex—earm, poor.]
Yearn, yėrn, v.t. (Spens.) to earn.
Yearn, yėrn, v.i. to curdle, as milk—also Earn.—n. Yearn′ing, rennet.
Yeast, yēst, n. the froth of malt liquors in fermentation: the vegetable growth to which fermentation is due, of value in brewing, baking, &c.: (Shak.) spume or foam of water.—v.i. to ferment.—ns. Yeast′iness, the state of being yeasty or frothy; Yeast′-plant, a small plant causing alcoholic fermentation in saccharine liquids; Yeast′-pow′der, a baking powder.—adj. Yeast′y, like yeast: frothy, foamy: unsubstantial. [A.S. gist, gyst; Ger. gäscht, gischt.]
Yeld, yeld, adj. (Scot.) barren, not giving milk. [A variant of geld.]
Yeldring, yel′dring, n. the same as Yowley.—Also Yel′drock.
Yelk. Same as Yolk.
Yell, yel, v.i. to howl or cry out with a sharp noise: to scream from pain or terror.—v.t. to utter with a yell.—n. a sharp outcry.—n. Yell′ing.—v.i. Yell′och (Scot.), to yell.—n. a yell. [A.S. gellan, gyllan; Ger. gellen; conn. with A.S. galan, to sing.]
Yellow, yel′ō, adj. of a bright gold colour.—n. a bright golden colour: (pl.) the peach-yellows (see Peach): (Shak.) jaundice in horses.—v.t. to make yellow.—v.i. to become yellow.—adjs. Yell′ow-backed, -bell′ied, -billed, -breast′ed, -cov′ered, -crowned, -eyed, -foot′ed, -front′ed, -head′ed, -horned, -legged, -necked, -polled, -ringed, -rumped, -shoul′dered, -spot′ted, &c.—ns. Yell′ow-bird, one of various birds of a yellow colour—the golden oriole, summer-warbler, &c.; Yell′ow-boy, a gold coin: a mulatto or dark quadroon:—fem. Yell′ow-girl; Yell′ow-bunt′ing, the yellow-hammer; Yell′ow-earth, a yellow ochre sometimes used as a pigment; Yell′ow-fē′ver, a pestilential contagious fever of a continuous and special type, presenting at least two well-defined stages, the first occupying 36 to 150 hours, marked by a rapid circulation and high temperature; the second being characterised by general depression and black vomit—also known as Yellow Jack, Bronze John, El Vomito, and Vomito Prieto or Vomito Amarilli; Yell′ow-flag, a flag of a yellow colour, displayed by a vessel in quarantine or over a military hospital or ambulance; Yell′ow-gum, the melæna or black jaundice of infants; Yell′ow-hamm′er, -amm′er, a song-bird, so named from its yellow colour: the common yellow-bunting.—adj. Yell′owish, somewhat yellow.—ns. Yell′owishness; Yell′ow-met′al, a brass consisting of sixty parts copper and forty parts zinc; Yell′owness; Yell′ow-root, an American herb whose root-stock yields berberine—also Orange-root, Goldenseal; Yell′ow-soap, common soap composed of tallow, resin, and soda; Yell′ow-wash, a lotion consisting of a mixture of mercuric chloride and lime-water; Yell′ow-weed, weld; Yell′ow-wood, a name given to Fustic and many other trees—e.g. satin-wood, and various kinds of podocarpus, rhus, xanthoxylum, &c.; Yell′ow-wort, an annual of the gentian family—also Yell′ow-cen′taury.—adj. Yell′owy, yellowish.—ns. Yell′ow-yol′dring, -yor′ling, or -yow′ley, the European yellow-hammer.—Yellow berries, Persian berries. [A.S. geolo; Ger. gelb; cog. with L. heluus, light bay.]
Yelp, yelp, v.i. to utter a sharp bark.—n. a sharp, quick cry or bark.—n. Yelp′er. [A.S. gilpan, to boast, exult; Ice. giálpa, to yelp.]
Yen, yen, n. a Japanese gold or silver coin, used as the monetary unit since 1871, and now equivalent to about 2s. 0½d. of our money. [Jap.,—Chin. yuen, round, a dollar.]
Yeoman, yō′man, n. in early English history, a common menial attendant, but after the fifteenth century, one of a class of small freeholders, forming the next grade below gentlemen: a man of small estate, any small farmer or countryman above the grade of labourer: an officer of the royal household: a member of the yeomanry cavalry: (Shak.) a journeyman, assistant: a gentleman in a royal or noble household, ranking between a sergeant and a groom.—adj. Yeo′manly, of yeoman's rank: humble and honest.—adv. staunchly, bravely.—n. Yeo′manry, the collective body of yeomen or smaller freeholders: a cavalry volunteer force in Great Britain, formed during the wars of the French Revolution, its organisation by counties, under the lords-lieutenant, raised and drilled locally, the men providing their own horses and uniform.—Yeomen of the guard, a veteran company of picked soldiers, employed in conjunction with the gentlemen-at-arms on grand occasions as the sovereign's bodyguard—constituted a corps in 1485 by Henry VII., and still wearing the costume of that period; Yeoman's service, powerful aid, such as came from the yeomen in the English armies of early times. [M. E. yoman, yemen, doubtless from an A.S. gáman, not found, but seen in Old Frisian gāman, villager—gā, a village (Ger. gau, district), man, man.]
Yerba, yer′ba, n. the Paraguay tea or maté. [Sp.,—L. herba.]
Yerk, yėrk, 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′tėr, 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, yēv, v.t. to give:—pa.p. (Spens.) Yev′en.
Yew, ū, 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, yēld, 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.]
Yill, yil, n. (Scot.) ale. [Ale.]
Yite, yīt, n. (prov.) the yellow-bunting.—Also Yoit.
Y-level, Y-moth. See Y.
Yo, yō, interj. expressive of effort, &c.—Yo-ho, in order to call attention.
Yodel, Yodle, yō′dl, v.t. and v.i. to sing, changing frequently from the ordinary voice to falsetto and back again after the manner of the mountaineers of the Tyrol.—n. a song sung in this fashion—also Jō′del.—ns. Yō′deler, Yō′dler. [Ger. dial. jodeln.]
Yoga, yō′ga, n. a system of Hindu philosophy showing the means of emancipation of the soul from further migrations.—ns. Yō′gi, a Hindu ascetic who practises the yoga system, consisting in the withdrawal of the senses from external objects, long continuance in unnatural postures, &c.; Yō′gism. [Hind. yoga—Sans. yoga, union.]
Yoicks, yō′iks, interj. an old fox-hunting cry.—v.t. Yō′ick, to urge on by this cry.
Yojana, yō′ja-na, n. an Indian measure of distance, usually about five miles.—Also Yō′jan.
Yoke, yōk, n. that which joins together: the frame of wood joining oxen for drawing together: any similar frame, as one for carrying pails: (prov.) a chain of hills: a stretch of work—e.g. from meal-time to meal-time: a mark of servitude: slavery: a pair or couple.—v.t. to put a yoke on: to join together: to enslave.—v.i. to be joined: to go along with.—ns. Yoke′-dev′il (Shak.), a companion devil; Yoke′-fell′ow, -mate, an associate: a mate or fellow.—adj. Yoke′-toed, pair-toed.—n. Yōk′ing, as much work as is done at a stretch. [A.S. geoc, iuc, ioc; Ger. joch; L. jugum, Gr. zygon.]
Yokel, yō′kl, n. a country bumpkin.—adj. Yō′kelish. [Ety. dub.; but cf. Gawk and Gowk.]
Yolding, Yoldring. Same as Yowley.
Yolk, yōk, Yelk, yelk, n. the yellow part of an egg: the vitellus of a seed: wool-oil.—adjs. Yolked, having a yolk; Yolk′y, like yolk. [A.S. geoloca, geoleca—geolo, yellow.]
Yon, yon, Yonder, yon′dėr, adv. at a distance within view.—adj. being at a distance within view. [A.S. geon; Goth. jains (masc.), jaina (fem.), Ger. jen-er, that.]
Yond, yond, adj. (Spens.) furious, mad—apparently a mere coinage from the foregoing.
Yoni, yō′nē, n. the pudendum muliebre, the symbol under which Sakti is worshipped in India.
Yonker=Younker (q.v.).
Yoop, yoop, n. a word imitative of a sobbing sound.
Yore, yōr, n. in old time. [A.S. geára, formerly, gen. pl. of gár, a year.]
Yorker, york′ėr, n. a term in cricket applied to a ball pitched to a point directly under the batsman's bat—formerly called tice from entice. [Prob. from Yorkshire, but history quite unknown.]
Yorkish, york′ish, adj. pertaining to the county or city of York: adhering to the House of York in the Wars of the Roses.—n. York′ist, one of this party.—Yorkshire grit, a grit from Yorkshire used for polishing; Yorkshire pudding, a pudding made of unsweetened batter, and baked under meat so as to catch the drippings.
You, ū, pron. 2d pers. pron. pl., but also used as singular.—pron.pl. You′-uns, a provincial form for you, you ones.—You're another, the vulgar form of tu quoque, effective in vituperation, but not an argument. [A.S. eów, orig. only dat. and accus. Cf. Ye.]
Young, yung, adj. not long born: in early life: in the first part of growth: vigorous: relating to youth: junior, the younger of two persons having the same name: inexperienced: newly arrived—in Australia.—n. the offspring of animals.—adjs. Young′-eyed (Shak.), with the bright eyes of youth; Young′ish, somewhat young.—n. Young′ling, a young person or animal.—adj. youthful, young.—adv. Young′ly.—ns. Young′ness; Young′ster, a young person: a lad; Youngth (Spens.), youth.—adj. Youngth′ly (Spens.), youthful.—Young blood, fresh accession of strength; Young England, the name applied, during the Corn-Law struggle (1842-45), to a little band of young Tory politicians, who hated Free Trade and Radicalism, and professed a sentimental attachment to earlier forms of social life in England; Young England, America, &c., the rising generation in England, America, &c.; Young Ireland, a group of Irish politicians who broke away from O'Connell about 1844, because of his rooted aversion to physical force; Young Italy, an association of Italian republican agitators, active about 1834, under the lead of Mazzini; Young person, Mr Podsnap's phrase for youth generally, considered as too inexperienced to hear about some matters within the range of adult human experience—from Dickens's Our Mutual Friend; Young Pretender, Prince Charlie, as distinguished from his father the Pretender or Old Pretender.—With young, pregnant. [A.S. geong; Ger. jung; also conn. with L. juvenis, Sans. yuvan, young.]
Younker, yung′kėr, n. a young person: (Shak.) a simpleton: (Spens.) a young gentleman or knight. [Old Dut. joncker (Dut. jonker), from jonk-heer, 'young master' or 'lord;' Ger. junker.]
Your, ūr, pron. poss. of you: belonging to you: (Shak.) used to denote a class or species well known, the use implying something of contempt.—Yourn (prov.), yours. [A.S. eówer. Cf. Ye.]
Yours, ūrz, pron. poss. of you, not followed by a noun: used in many idiomatic senses, as e.g. 'you and yours,' your family, property, 'yours of yesterday,' your letter, &c.—Yours faithfully, sincerely, truly, &c., Yours to command, &c., are forms used in letters just before the signature, as phrases of conventional politeness, for the most part: also sometimes used by a vulgar speaker in alluding to himself.
Yourself, ūr-self′, pron. your own self or person:—pl. Yourselves′.
Youth, yōōth, n. state of being young: early life: a young person: young persons taken together: (Shak.) recentness, freshness.—adj. Youth′ful, pertaining to youth or early life: young: suitable to youth: fresh: buoyant, vigorous.—adv. Youth′fully.—ns. Youth′fulness; Youth′head, Youth′hood (obs.), youth.—adjs. Youth′ly (Spens.), young, youthful; Youth′some, youthful; Youth′y, young. [A.S. geogoth—geong, young; Ger. jugend.]
Yowl, yowl, v.i. to cry mournfully, as a dog: to yell, bawl.—n. a distressed cry.—n. Yowl′ing, a howling. [M. E. yowlen—Ice. gaula, to howl; cf. Scot. gowl and Eng. yell.]
Yowley, yow′li, n. the yellow-bunting.—Also Yel′dring, Yel′drock, Yor′ling, &c. [A.S. geolu, yellow.]
Y-pointing, i-point′ing, adj. (Milt.) pointing, looking up into the air. [An erroneous formation, as the prefix y- was confined to the past participle, and then, too, only or nearly always to words of Anglo-Saxon origin.]
Y-ravish, i-rav′ish, v.t. (Shak.) to ravish. [An erroneous formation. Cf. Y-pointing.]
Yslaked, an obsolete pa.p. of slake.
Y-track. See Y.
Ytterbium, i-ter′bi-um, n. an element discovered by Marignac in gadolinite.
Yttrium, it′ri-um, n. a rare metal obtained as a blackish-gray powder, and contained in a few minerals in which there are usually also present compounds of one or more other rare metals, such as cerium, didymium, erbium, and lanthanum.—n. Ytt′ria, its oxide, a yellowish-white powder.—adjs. Ytt′ric; Yttrif′erous; Ytt′rious.—ns. Ytt′ro-cē′rite, a violet mineral found embedded in quartz, a fluoride of yttrium, cerium, and calcium; Ytt′ro-col′umbite, -tan′talite, a brownish mineral found at Ytterby, a tantalate of yttrium, uranium, and iron, with calcium. [From Ytterby, a town in Sweden, where it was first discovered.]
Yucca, yuk′a, n. a genus of plants of natural order Liliaceæ, natives of Mexico, &c., some cultivated in gardens on account of the singularity and splendour of their appearance.—Yucca gloriosa, a native of Virginia, but quite hardy in England, the stem two or three feet high, its upper part producing a great tuft or crown of large sword-shaped evergreen leaves, each terminating in a sharp black spine. From the centre of this crown of leaves rises the flower-stalk, three feet high, branching out into a large panicle, the flowers white with a purple stripe. [West Indian name.]
Yuck, yuk, v.i. (prov.) to itch.—n. the itch.—adj. Yuck′y, itchy.
Yucker, yuk′ėr, n. the American flicker or golden-winged woodpecker.
Yufts, yufts, n. Russia leather.
Yuga, yōō′ga, n. one of the Hindu ages of the world.—Also Yug. [Sans.]
Yulan, yōō′lan, n. a Chinese magnolia, with large white flowers. [Chin.]
Yule, yool, n. the season or feast of Christmas.—n. Yule′tide, the time or season of Yule or Christmas.—Yule log, the block of wood cut down in the forest, then dragged to the house, and set alight in celebration of Christmas. [A.S. géol, yule, se ǽrra géola, December; Ice. jól. Not conn. either with Ice. hjól, wheel, or M. E. youlen, yollen, to cry out or yawl.]
Yunx, yungks, n. the wry-neck.
Y-wis, i-wis′, adv. (Spens.) certainly, truly. [Cf. Iwis.]