Yard

This article is about the unit of measure known as the yard. For other definitions, see Yard (disambiguation).

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A yard (abbr. yd) is an imperial unit of length, defined as 3 feet or 36 inches, which is exactly 0.9144 metres in the modern, international definition. The corresponding area measure is the square yard.

Related Topics:
Imperial unit - Length - Feet - Inch - 0.9144 metres

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The early yard was divided by the binary method into 2, 4, 8, and 16 parts called the half-yard, span, finger, and nail.

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The yard derives its name from the word for a straight branch or rod, although the precise origin of the measure is not definitely known. Some believe it derived from the double cubit, or that it originated from cubic measure. One postulate was that the yard was derived from the girth of a person's waist, while another claim held that the measure was invented by Henry I of England as being the distance between the tip of his nose and the end of his thumb. These are believed to be more likely standardising events than inventing of the measure.

Related Topics:
Measure - Cubit - Girth - Henry I of England

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Several standardisations of the yard have been produced over the years, resulting in yardsticks of various lengths. The modern yard is a compromise between the old British and American standards, and is calibrated against the metre.

Related Topics:
British - American - Metre

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In American slang a "yard" is finance slang for a billion. Its clearer to say "I want to buy a yard of yen" than to say "I want to buy a billion yen" which could be misheard as "I want to buy a million yen". In 1926 a yard or a century was slang for $100, then by 1932 it had progressed to be slang for $1,000.

Related Topics:
Finance - Billion - Million - Century

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