yd

yd is the abbreviation for yard, a unit of length used in the British Imperial and United States customary systems. A yard is defined as 3 feet, 36 inches, or exactly 0.9144 meters. This exact metric value was established by the international yard and pound agreement of 1959 to align the U.S. and British standards.

Origin and name

The term yard comes from the Old English geard, meaning enclosure or yard associated with a building or property. Over time, the yard became a standard unit of measurement in trade, construction, and land surveying within English-speaking regions.

Usage and contexts

In everyday usage, yards are common for measuring gardens, parcels, fabrics, and construction dimensions in the United States. In the United Kingdom, metrication has reduced reliance on yards, but the unit remains encountered in some industries and historical contexts. In sports, distances are frequently expressed in yards, with abbreviations such as yd for singular and yds in shorthand contexts.

Notation and conversions

The unit is typically written as yd for a single yard. The plural form in prose is yards, while shorthand contexts may use yds. Related conversions include: 1 yd = 3 ft; 1 ft = 12 in; 1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 m ≈ 1.094 yd.

See also

Yard (unit) and related length measures in the imperial and metric systems.