[yield] vb [ME, fr. OE gieldan; akin to OHG geltan to pay] vt (bef. 12c) 1 archaic: recompense, reward
2: to give or render as fitting, rightfully owed, or required
3: to give up possession of on claim or demand: as a: to give up (as one's breath) and so die b: to surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another: hand over possession of c: to surrender or submit (oneself) to another d: to give (oneself) up to an inclination, temptation, or habit e: to relinquish one's possession of (as a position of advantage or point of superiority) "~ precedence"
4. a: to bear or bring forth as a natural product esp. as a result of cultivation "the tree always ~s good fruit" b: to produce or furnish as return "this soil should ~ good crops" c (1): to produce as return from an expenditure or investment: furnish as profit or interest "a bond that ~s 12 percent" (2): to produce as revenue: bring in "the tax is expected to ~ millions"
5: to give up (as a hit or run) in baseball "~ed two runs in the third inning" ~ vi 1: to be fruitful or productive: bear, produce
2: to give up and cease resistance or contention: submit, succumb
3: to give way to pressure or influence: submit to urging, persuasion, or entreaty
4: to give way under physical force (as bending, stretching, or breaking)
5. a: to give place or precedence: acknowledge the superiority of someone else b: to be inferior "our dictionary ~s to none" c: to give way to or become succeeded by someone or something else
6: to relinquish the floor of a legislative assembly syn yield, submit, capitulate, succumb, relent, defer mean to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist. yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty "yields too easily in any argument". submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another "a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God". capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force "officials capitulated to the protesters' demands". succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force "a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood". relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand "finally relented and let the children stay up late". defer implies a voluntary yielding or
[2]yield n (15c) 1: something yielded: product; esp: the amount or quantity produced or returned "~ of wheat per acre"
2: the capacity of yielding produce