Emily Dickinson Lexicon

YAW, v.i.

1. To rise in blisters, breaking in white froth, as cane juice in the sugar works. [Qu. yew. See Yew.] – West Indies.
2. In navigation, to deviate from the line of her course, as a ship. – Mar. Dict.

YAWL, n.

A small ship's boat, usually rowed by four or six oars.

YAWL, v.i.

To cry out. [See Yell.]

YAWN, n.

1. A gaping; an involuntary opening of the mouth from drowsiness; oscitation. One person yawning in company will produce a spontaneous yawn in all present. – N. Chipman.
2. An opening wide. – Addison.

YAWN, v.i. [Sax. geonan, gynian; G. gähnen; W. agenu; Gr. χαινω.]

1. To gape; to oscitate; to have the mouth open involuntarily through drowsiness or dullness. The lazy, yawning drone. – Shak. And while above he spends his breath, / The yawning audience nod beneath. – Trumbull.
2. To open wide; as, wide yawns the gulf below.
3. To express desire by yawning; as to yawn for fat livings. – Hooker.

YAWN'ED, pp.

Gaped; opened wide.

YAWN'ING, n.

The act of gaping or opening wide.

YAWN'ING, ppr.

1. Gaping; opening wide.
2. adj. Sleepy; drowsy; dull. – Shak.

YAWN'ING-LY, adv.

In a yawning manner. – Irving.

YAWS, n. [African yaw, a raspberry.]

A disease called, by Good, Rubula, from rubus, a raspberry. It is characterized by cutaneous tumors numerous and successive; gradually increasing from specks to the size of a raspberry; one, at length, growing larger than the rest; core a fungous excrescence; fever slight, and probably irritative merely. It is commonly supposed to be contagious, and to occur but once during life; but, both of these points are doubtful. It is sometimes called frambœsia, a barbarous name derived from the French framboise, a raspberry. There are two varieties of this disease, which differ considerably; the one occurring in Africa, the other in America. It is scarcely known in Europe. – Good.

Y-CLAD', pp.

Clad. [This word and the following retain the y, which is the remains of the Saxon ge prefixed to verbs. But it is obsolete, except in poetry, and perhaps in burlesque only.]

Y-CLEP'ED, pp. [of Sax. ge-clypian, clepan, to call. See Yclad.]

Called; named. It is obsolete, except in burlesque.

Y-DRAD', pp.

Dreaded. [Obs.] – Spenser.

YE, pron. [Sax. ge.]

The nominative plural of the second person, of which thou is the singular. But the two words have no radical connection. Ye is now used only in the sacred and solemn style. In common discourse and writing, you is exclusively used. But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified. – 1 Cor. vi.

YEA, adv. [ye; Sax. gea, geac; G. D. and Dan. ja; Sw. jaka, to consent. Qu. G. bejaken, to affirm. Class Cg, No. 25, 26.]

1. Yes; a word that expresses affirmation or assent. Will you go? yea. It sometimes introduces a subject, with the sense of indeed, verily, truly, it is so. Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden? – Gen. iii. Let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay. Matth. v.
2. It sometimes enforces the sense of something preceding; not only so, but more. Therein I do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. – Phil. i.
3. In Scripture, it is used to denote certainty, consistency, harmony and stability. All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him are amen. – 2 Cor. i. [In this use, the word may be considered a noun.] Yea is used only in the sacred and solemn style. [See Yes.]

YEAD, or GEAD, v.i.

To go. [Obs.] – Spenser.

YEAN, v.i. [Sax. eanian.]

To bring forth young, as a goat or sheep; to lamb. [Obsolete or local.]

YEAN'ED, pp.

Brought forth.

YEAN'LING, n.

The young of sheep; a lamb. [Obsolete or local.]

YEAR, n. [Sax. gear; G. jahr; D. jaar; Sw. år; Dan. aar; Sans. jahran; probably a course or circle; the root gar, ger, signifying to run.]

1. The space or period of time in which the sun moves through the twelve signs of the ecliptic, or whole circle, and returns to the same point. This is the solar year, and the year, in the strict and proper sense of the word. It is called also the tropical year. This period comprehends what are called the twelve calendar months, or 365 days, 5 hours, and 49 minutes, within a small fraction. But in popular usage, the year consists of 365 days, and every fourth year of 366; a day being added to February, on account of the five hours and 49 minutes.
2. The time in which any planet completes a revolution; as, the year of Jupiter or of Saturn.
3. The time in which the fixed stars make a revolution, is called the great year.
4. Years, in the plural, is sometimes equivalent to age or old age; as, a man in years. In popular language, year is often used for years. The horse is ten year old. Sidereal year, the time in which the sun, departing from any fixed star, returns to the same. This is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 11.5 seconds. Anomalistical year, the time that elapses from the sun's leaving its apogee, till it returns to it; which is 365 days, 6 hours, 14 minutes. Civil year, the year which any nation has contrived for the computation of time. Bissextile or leap year, the year consisting of 366 days. Lunar year, consists of 12 lunar months. Lunar astronomical year, consists of 12 lunar synodical months, or 354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes, 36 seconds. Common lunar year, consists of 12 lunar civil months, or 354 days. Embolismic or intercalary year, consists of 13 lunar civil months, and contains 384 days. Julian year, established by Julius Cesar, consists of 365 days, 6 hours. Gregorian year, is the Julian year corrected, and is the year now generally used in Europe. From the difference between this and the Julian year, arises the distinction of Old and New Style. Sabbatic year, among the Israelites, was every seventh year, when their land was suffered to lie untilled. – Cyc. Encyc. The civil or legal year, in England, formerly commenced on the 25th day of March. This practice continued till after the settlement of America, and the first settlers of New England observed it for many years.

YEAR-BOOK, n. [year and book.]

A book containing annual reports of cases adjudged in the courts of England.

YEAR-ED, a.

Containing years. [Not in use.] – B. Jonson.

YEAR-LING, a.

Being a year old; as, a yearling heifer.

YEAR-LING, n.

A young beast one year old, or in the second year of his age.

YEAR-LY, a.

1. Annual; happening, accruing or coming every year; as, a yearly rent or income.
2. Lasting a year; as, a yearly plant.
3. Comprehending a year; as, the yearly circuit or revolution of the earth.