boat used for pleasure. Yachts are often thought of in connection with very rich people.
yacht·ing /'jɒtɪŋ/ jɑːtɪŋ/ n [U] (the act of) sailing, traveling, or racing in a yacht: They go yachting most weekends.
yachts·man /'jɒtsmənl'jæts-/, yachts·woman /-,wumən/ fem, — n pl. -men /mən/ a person who owns or sails a yacht
ya·da ya·da ya·da, yadda yadda yadda /,jædə jædə 'jædə/ interj AmE said when you do not want to give a lot of detailed information, because it is boring or because the person you are talking to already knows it → compare BLAH, BLAH, BLAH I started talking to her and – yada yada yada – it turns out she's from New York too.
Yah-boo /,ja: 'bu:/ also ,yah-boo 'sucks interj BrE used to express dislike or disrespect for someone, or to make fun of them
ya•hoo¹ /jaːˈhuː/ interj infl m shouted when you are very happy or excited about something
yahoo² n (sometimes cap.) a rough, noisy, or bad-mannered UPPER-CLASS British person: the stockbroker yahoos who swarm to Covent Garden for Pavarotti
Yahoo! trademark a type of SEARCH ENGINE (=a computer PROGRAM used for searching for information on the Internet), which also provides other information such as news, city maps, and shopping
Yah-weh /'ja:we/ n [singular] a Hebrew name for God
yak¹ /jæk/ n a long-haired cowlike animal of central Asia
yak² v -kk- [1(ON)] infml derog to talk continuously about unim-
portant things; CHATTER
Yale /jeɪl/ an old and respected US university, established in 1701 in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale is one of the IV LEAGUE colleges.
'Yale lock also Yale trademark a type of lock often used on the main door of a house or building. Yale locks are very common in the UK and they have a special type of key.
y'all /jɔːl/ pron AmE, infml you all; used mainly by people in the south of the US: 'Do y'all want to come over for lunch?' | 'It's been so nice seeing y'all again!'
Yalta /ˈjæltəl/ 1 a port and city on the Black Sea in Ukraine, popular with tourists 2 the Yalta Conference a meeting held at Yalta in 1945 between CHURCHILL, ROO-SEVELT, and STALIN, which greatly influenced the history of Europe after World War II. The three leaders discussed how to finish the war against Hitler's Germany, and how central and eastern Europe should be divided after the war. They also agreed to set up the UNITED NATIONS.
yam /jæm/ n 1 a tropical climbing plant grown for its root, which is eaten as a vegetable 2 AmE for SWEET POTATO
Yam·a·ha /'jæməhɑː/ trademark a large Japanese company known especially for making motorcycles, sports equipment, and musical instruments, especially electronic KEYBOARDS
yam·mer /ˈjæmə/ v [l(ON)] infml derog to talk noisily and continuously
yang /jæŋ/ n [U] the male principle in Chinese PHILOSOPHY which is active, light, and POSITIVE and which combines with YIN (=the female principle) to form the whole world. There should be a balance of yin and yang in everything.
Yan-gôn /jæŋˈgɒnˈjɒn/ the capital of Myanmar (Burma), known as Rangoon until 1989. It is on the Yangon River, near the Gulf of Martaban.
yank¹ /jæŋk/ v [ɑːt] infml to pull suddenly and sharply: He
yanked the nail/the tooth out. | He yanked (on) the rope.
yank² n iním a sudden sharp pull
Yank n [C] infml 1 a word meaning someone from the US, sometimes used in an insulting way by someone who is not American 2 also Yankee AmE someone born or living in the northern, especially the northeastern, states of the US
Yan-kee /ˈjæŋki/ n [C] 1 AmE someone born or living in the northern states of the US, especially New England. It is sometimes used as an insulting word by people from the southern US. 2 AmE someone who fought against the southern states in the American Civil War 3 BrE old-fashioned someone from the US → compare YANK
, Yankee 'Doodle a US song which first became popular with American soldiers during the AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR and is now often sung by children:
Yankee Doodle went to town,
Riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni.
'Yankee 'Stadium the STADIUM in The Bronx, New York City, New York, where the Yankees baseball team plays. It was first opened in 1923. In the 1970s, it was decided to RENOVATE it, and it opened again in 1976 after three years' work.
yap /jæp/ v -pp- [1] derog 1 (especially of a small dog) to make short sharp excited noises (sharp BARKs) 2 [(ON, AWAY)] infml to talk noisily about unimportant things —yap n
yard¹ /ja:dllja:rd/ written abbrev. yd n 1 a unit of length → see TABLE 2 2 also yards infml a great length or quantity: His estimate was yards out. (=wrong by a great deal) 3 AmE the distance of one yard on a football field: a 44-yard touchdown 4 naut a long pole that supports a square sail
yard² n 1 (often in comb.) an enclosed or partly enclosed area next to a building or group of buildings: a churchyard 2 AmE a BACKYARD or a front garden (front yard): You can play in our yard. | Play in the front yard today because the grass is shorter. 3 (usually in comb.) an area enclosed for a special purpose, activity, or business: a shipyard | a coalyard
Yard, the infml SCOTLAND YARD
yard·age /ˈjɑːdɪdʒ/ˈjɑːr-/ n [C;U] tech the size of something measured in yards or square yards: a large yardage of sail
yard·arm /'jɑːd-ɑːm/ 'jɑːrd-ɑːrm/ n either end of the pole (YARD) that supports a square sail
'yard line n (in American football) any of the lines drawn on the field to mark each yard: The ball is at the 10-yard line.
'yard sale n AmE for GARAGE SALE
yard·stick /ˈjɑːd,stɪk/ˈjɑːrd-/ n [(of)] a standard of measurement or comparison: Is profit the only yardstick of success?
yar·mul·ke /'jɑːmʊlkəl/ jɑːr-/ n a small circular cap worn by male Jews in the SYNAGOGUE and by some male Jews all the time
yarn¹ /jaɪnˈlaɪn/ n 1 [U] especially AmE a long continuous, usually cotton or woollen thick thread used in KNITTING, making cloth, mats etc 2 [C] infml a story of adventures, travels etc, especially one that is exaggerated (EXAGGERATE) or untrue: The old sea captain would often spin us a yarn about his adventures.
yarn² v [1] infml to tell YARNs
yash·mak /ˈjæʃmæk/ n a piece of cloth worn across the face by some Muslim women
Yas·sin, Sheikh Ah·med /jaːsɪnˈlʃaː-, 'ɑːmed/ (1938–2004) a Palestinian man who was the leader of Hamas until he was killed by the Israelis. He started the Palestinian organization HAMAS in 1987, together with Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi. The Israeli authorities sent him to prison for ordering the KIDNAPPING and killing of two Israeli soldiers, but in 1997 they released him in exchange for two Israelis who were in prison in Jordan.
Ya·strzem·ski, Carl /ja'stremski, ka:ll|ka:rl/ (1939-) a US BASEBALL player who was a famous member of the Boston Red Sox team from 1961 to 1983, often known as 'Yaz'. He won six Golden Glove Awards and was known for hitting HOME RUNS.
yaw /jɔː/ v [1] tech (of a ship, aircraft etc) to make a turn to the side, especially out of the proper course → compare PITCH ROLL —yaw n [C;U]
yawl /jɔːl/ n 1 a sailing boat with at least two sails, one o which is set well back 2 a small boat carried on a ship
yawn¹ /jɒn/ v [l] 1 to open the mouth wide and breathe ir deeply, as when tired or uninterested 2 to be or become wide open: The hole yawned before him. | a yawning chasm (fig.) yawning gaps in the law
yawn² n 1 an act of yawning 2 [C usually sing.] infmi derog a dul uninteresting thing or person: The party was a big yawn.
yaws /jɔːz/ n [U] a tropical skin disease
Y chro•mo•some /'waɪr,krəʊməsəʊm/ n a type of CHROMO SOME which exists only in male cells, and which make someone a male rather than a female → see also X CHROMO SOME
yd written abbrev. for YARD(s)