The yard (symbol: yd ) is a unit of Length system of units of some countries of which, especially, the the United Kingdom (imperial Système of unit) and the the United States of America.

The length of the standards varied according to the countries, even the areas of the same country, in addition to the times. The majority of the country using the yard before adopted today the international Système and, in a first stage, adopted the definition:

1 yd   =   0,9144 m

Note : With the Canada French, the word Verge is used to indicate a yard.

The yard is divisible into 3 feet or 36 inches.

History

The exact origin of the yard is not known: the word indicates also a branch or a rectilinear stem. It is supposed that the standards were based on the size of certain individuals; the legend wants that one of them was created by king Henri Ier of England starting from the distance between the end of its nose and its inch.

Formerly, one used also divisions and multiples yard to measure the fabrics (cotton, wool, flax):

• 14.400 yards: Spindle or spyndle
• 840 yards: hank in the case of cotton
• 120 yards: Titration Lea in the case of cotton
• 40 yards: bolt
• 1/4 yard: quarter
• 1/8 yard: finger
• 1/16 yard: nail

The Yards are often used for American football.

The multiples tend to vary with the type of fabric, also should not one take this list for a Gospel.

Future

The transition towards IF is effective in many countries and the use the yard tends to disappear in the scientific circles and technical.

There remains used for the everyday usages (retail sale, Arpentage), the conversation and in particular in Sport S such as the American football. He will survive still a long time in various phrases, as for example the English expression “the whole nine yards” (which indicates in fact the standard loading of a ground truck, sands or gravel at the XIXe century: nine cubic rods).

External bonds

• Conversion yard towards other units of length

Simple: Yard (links length off)

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