yield
Related to yield: Yield to maturity, Yield curve, Yield sign
yield the ghost
To die. Based on the idea that one's spirit leaves the body when one dies. More commonly expressed in the phrase "give up the ghost." Susie called me in tears when grandma yielded the ghost after her long illness. Well, if the mechanic can't work his magic this time, it looks like Marshall's car will finally yield the ghost.
See also: ghost, yield
yield to (someone or something)
1. To allow someone or something to move in front of or before oneself; to give someone or something the right of way. This sign means you have to yield to oncoming traffic. I could have gone first, but I decided to yield to them because they were carrying such a heavy load.
2. To submit or give in to someone or something; to relinquish victory to someone or something. He yielded to his opponent after being put in a chokehold. We will never yield to enemy forces—we will fight until there isn't a single one of us left standing!
3. To allow oneself to be convinced, persuaded, overcome, etc., by some person or force. I managed to stay off cigarettes for about a week before finally yielding to temptation. I hadn't meant for things to go so far on our first date, but I couldn't help but yield to his charming words and smoldering eyes.
4. To allow someone or something to have or take something; to sacrifice, concede, or relinquish something to someone or something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "yield" and "to." Remember to yield right-of-way to the other driver if you're stopped at a stop sign. I was forced to yield the land to the banks because of the mortgage my father had taken out on it during the recession.
See also: yield
yield to pressure
To give into outside forces urging someone to do something. Sally wasn't even going to apply for that boring job, but she yielded to pressure from her mother and submitted her resume nonetheless.
See also: pressure, yield
yield up (to someone or something)
To concede or relinquish something to someone or something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "yield" and "up." The criminal kept the employees hostage for nearly six hours before finally yielding them up. I was forced to yield up the land up to the banks because of the mortgage my father had taken out on it during the recession.
See also: someone, up, yield
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
yield someone or something (over) (to someone or something)
to give up someone or something to someone or something. (The over is typically used where the phrase is synonymous with hand over.) You must yield Tom over to his mother. Will you yield the right-of-way to the other driver, or not? Please yield the right-of-way to me.
yield someone or something up (to someone)
to give someone or something up to someone. He had to yield his daughter up to Claire. The judge required that Tom yield up his daughter to his ex-wife. Finally, he yielded up the money.
See also: up, yield
yield something to someone
1. . to give the right-of-way to someone. You must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. You failed to yield the right-of-way to the oncoming car. 2. to give up something to someone. The army yielded the territory to the invading army. We yielded the territory to the government.
See also: yield
yield to someone
1. to let someone go ahead; to give someone the right-of-way. Please yield to the next speaker. She yielded to the next speaker.
2. to give in to someone. She found it hard to yield to her husband in an argument. I will yield to no one.
See also: yield
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
yield to
v.
1. To give oneself up to someone, as in defeat: The platoon chose to fight to the end and would not yield to the enemy.
2. To give way to some pressure or force: The door yielded to a gentle push.
3. To give way to some argument, persuasion, influence, or entreaty: I'm dieting, but I sometimes yield to temptation and eat a cookie.
4. To give up one's place, as to one that is superior: The moderator opened the conference and then yielded to the chairperson.
See also: yield
yield up
v.
To sacrifice or concede something: The inhabitants of the city yielded it up to the invaders without a fight. I sometimes dream of yielding up the comfort of modern society to live in a cabin in the woods. The boxer held the heavyweight title for three years and then yielded it up to a young contender.
See also: up, yield
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- yield the ghost
- beck and call
- give up the ghost
- give up the ghost, to
- a penny for them
- be twiddling (one's) thumbs
- be twiddling your thumbs
- (as) sure as eggs (is eggs)
- but for the grace of God
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