I. ˈyēld verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English gieldan; akin to Old High German geltan to pay
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
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)
yield precedence
4.
a. : to bear or bring forth as a natural product especially as a result of cultivation
the tree always yield s good fruit
b. : to produce or furnish as return
this soil should yield good crops
c.
(1) : to produce as return from an expenditure or investment : furnish as profit or interest
a bond that yield s 12 percent
(2) : to produce as revenue : bring in
the tax is expected to yield millions
5. : to give up (as a hit or run) in baseball
yield ed two runs in the third inning
intransitive verb
1. : to be fruitful or productive : bear , produce
2. : to give up and cease resistance or contention : submit , succumb
facing an enemy who would not yield
yield ing to temptation
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 yield 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
Synonyms:
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 submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another
I defer to your expertise in these matters
Synonym: see in addition relinquish .
II. noun
Date: 15th century
1. : something yielded : product ; especially : the amount or quantity produced or returned
yield of wheat per acre
2. : the capacity of yielding produce