'Liberty of the yard' definitions:

Definition of 'Liberty of the yard'

From: GCIDE
  • Yard \Yard\, n. [OE. yard, yerd, AS. geard; akin to OFries. garda garden, OS. gardo garden, gard yard, D. gaard garden, G. garten, OHG. garto garden, gari inclosure, Icel. gar[eth]r yard, house, Sw. g[*a]rd, Dan. gaard, Goth. gards a house, garda sheepfold, L. hortus garden, Gr. cho`rtos an inclosure. Cf. Court, Garden, Garth, Horticulture, Orchard.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. An inclosure; usually, a small inclosed place in front of, or around, a house or barn; as, a courtyard; a cowyard; a barnyard. [1913 Webster]
  • A yard . . . inclosed all about with sticks In which she had a cock, hight chanticleer. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. An inclosure within which any work or business is carried on; as, a dockyard; a shipyard. [1913 Webster]
  • Liberty of the yard, a liberty, granted to persons imprisoned for debt, of walking in the yard, or within any other limits prescribed by law, on their giving bond not to go beyond those limits.
  • Prison yard, an inclosure about a prison, or attached to it.
  • Yard grass (Bot.), a low-growing grass (Eleusine Indica) having digitate spikes. It is common in dooryards, and like places, especially in the Southern United States. Called also crab grass.
  • Yard of land. See Yardland. [1913 Webster]