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.]