v. & n.
v. 1 tr. (also absol.) produce or return as a fruit, profit, or result (the land yields crops; the land yields poorly; the investment yields 15%). 2 tr. give up; surrender, concede; comply with a demand for (yielded the fortress; yielded themselves prisoners). 3 intr. (often foll. by to) a surrender; make submission. b give consent or change one's course of action in deference to; respond as required to (yielded to persuasion). 4 intr. (foll. by to) be inferior or confess inferiority to (I yield to none in understanding the problem). 5 intr. (foll. by to) give right of way to other traffic. 6 intr. US allow another the right to speak in a debate etc.
n. an amount yielded or produced; an output or return. yield point Physics the stress beyond which a material becomes plastic. yielder n.
[ OE g(i)eldan pay f. Gmc ]