• YIBBLE
adj. 1825 Sc. – able
• YIBBLES
adv. 1868 Sc. – possibly, maybe, perhaps
• YIBLINS
adv. 1721 Sc. – perhaps
• YICKIE-YAWKIE
n. 1824 Sc. – a wooden tool, blunted like a wedge, with which shoemakers polish the edges and bottoms of soles
• YICKY
adj. 1. 1920s US sl., chiefly teen usage – distasteful, nauseating, unpleasant
adj. 2. Bk1964 US students’ sl. – dirty
• YID
n. 1874 sl., derogatory or offensive – a Jew
• YIDDEL • YIDDLE
n. 1946 US sl. – a Jewish person
• YIDDISH
adj. 1897 Amer. dial. – Jewish
• YIDDISHER
n. 1902 Amer. dial. – a Jew
• YIDDISH HIGHWAY
n. 1979 US sl. – US Highway 301, which runs between New York and Miami, Florida
• YIDDLE
n. 20C derogatory – a Jewish man or woman
• YID KID
n. 1950 US sl. – a young Jewish person
• YIELD
vb. 1. 1703 Eng. dial. – to reward
vb. 2. 1835 Sc. – to admit; to confess
vb. 3. Bk1905 Sc. & Eng. dial. – of a cow: to give milk
• YIELD ONE’S FAVOURS
vb. 19C Brit. euphemism – of a female: to agree to coition
• YIELDY
adj. 1881 Sc. – yielding, giving way
• YIELD-YOW
n. Bk1905 Sc. – a violent pressure of the thumb under the lobe of the ear
• YIFF-YAFF
n. Bk1905 Sc. obs. – a small person who talks a great deal to little purpose
• YIKE
n. 1. 1891 Eng. dial. – the call of the woodpecker
n. 2. 1941 Aust. sl. – an argument, a row
• YIKES!
int. 1. 1971 – an exclamation of fear or alarm
int. 2. 1971 – an exclamation of surprise or astonishment
• YIKKA
vb. 1892 Sc. – to snarl
• YILL
n. 1819 Sc. & Eng. dial. – ale
vb. 1887 Sc. – to treat to ale
• YILL-CUP
n. 1785 Sc. – a wooden vessel from which ale is drunk
• YILL-CUP EYE
n. 1789 Sc. – a large or ‘saucer’ eye
• YILL-HOUSE
n. 1817 Sc. & N. Eng. dial. – a house where ale is sold
• YILL-SEASONED
adj. 1879 Sc. – seasoned with ale
• YILL-SELLER
n. 1887 Sc. – a person who sells ale
• YILL-SHOP
n. 1890 Sc. – a place where ale is sold
• YILL-WIFE
n. 1790 Sc. & N. Eng. dial. – a woman who brews or sells ale
• YILLYART
adj. 1897 Sc. – stubborn; ill-conditioned
• YILP
vb. 1677 Eng. dial. – to squeak as a mouse; to chirp as a bird
• YIM
n. 1824 Sc. – a particle; an atom; the smallest portion of anything
vb. Bk1905 Sc. – to break into fragments
• YIMMER
vb. 1. 1774 N. Ireland – to lament; to cry aloud fretfully; to fret; to whimper; to complain; to grumble
vb. 2. 1835 N. Ireland – to make a great outcry, or a loud, disagreeable noise; to talk loudly or persistently; to shout; to scold
• YIMMET
n. 1824 Sc. obs. – a lunch
• YIMOST
adj. 1809 Sc. – uppermost
• YING-YANG
n. 1. 1968 US sl. – the anus and/or rectum
n. 2. 1970s sl. – a stupid or foolish person
n. 3. 1981 US sl. – the penis
phr. 1965 Amer. dial. – said to a child when he asks “What are you making?”
• YINK
n. 1. Bk1905 Sc. – a lover; a sweetheart
n. 2. Bk1905 Sc. – an indefinite quantity
vb. 1897 Sc. – to set aside
• YIN-YANG
n. 1990s sl. – nonsense; cant
• YINZER
n. 1994 Amer. dial. – one who lives in or near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, esp. one who has characteristic local dialect features
• YIP
n. 1. 1839 Eng. dial. – an impudent, forward child or youth; a mischievous lad
n. 2. 1839 Eng. dial. – a perverse, wilful animal
n. 3. Bk1913-17 Amer. dial. – noise; talk
n. 4. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a dog
vb. 1. 1907 US sl. – to bark in a piercing and shrill manner
vb. 2. 1907 sl. – to talk in an insistent, petulant, and annoying way
• YIPE!; YIPES!
int. 20C sl., esp. teen usage – an exclamation of dismay, alarm, emphatic, response, etc.
• YIP-EE!
int. 1920 orig. US – an exclamation of delight or exultation
• YIPPEE!
int. 1920 orig. US – an exclamation of delight or exultation
• YIPPER
adj. 1893 Eng. dial. – brisk, active, in good spirits
• YIPPIE
n. 1967 US sl. – a member of, or an adherent to, the principles of the Youth International Party, a short-lived blend of 1960s counterculture values and New Left politics
• YIPPINGALE
n. 1609 Eng. dial. – the green woodpecker
• YIPPY!
int. 1920 orig. US – an exclamation of delight or exultation
• THE YIPS
n. 1963 sl. – nervous trembling which causes a golfer to miss an easy putt
• YIP-YAP
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – an upstart; a young, scatterbrained person
• YIP-YOP
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – an upstart; a young, scatterbrained person
• YIRD
adj. 1821 Sc. – buried
• YIRDING
n. 1895 Sc. – burial, interment
• YIRK
n. 1896 Sc. & Eng. dial. – a jerk, a pull, a snatch
vb. 1. 1781 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to strike hard, esp. with a switch or whip; to beat, to thrash; to stab
vb. 2. 1811 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to jerk; to seize or pull forcibly; to snatch, to wrench, to force
vb. 3. 1873 Sc. – to start a tune; to commence singing, playing, etc.
• YIRKIN
n. 1. 1892 Ireland – the place where a shoe is tied
n. 2. Bk1905 N. Ireland – the side of a boat
• YIRLICH
adj. 1838 Sc. obs. – wild, unnatural
• YIRLISCHLY
adv. 1865 Sc. obs. – wildly
• YIRM
vb. 1. 1824 Sc. obs. – to chirp as a bird
vb. 2. 1832 Sc. – to whine, to complain; to utter low cries; to ask questions in a querulous tone
• YIRMS
n. 1824 Sc. obs. – small-sized fruit
• YIRN
n. 1. 1824 Sc. – an eagle
n. 2. 1896 Sc. – a complaint; a whine
vb. 1. 1824 Sc. & N. Ireland – to whine, to complain; to grumble
vb. 2. Bk1905 Sc. – to distort the face; to make grimaces
vb. 3. Bk1905 Sc. – to twist; to entwine
• YIRP
vb. Bk1905 Sc. – to yelp
• YIRR
n. Bk1905 Sc. – the growl of a dog
vb. 1. 1746 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to yell, to shout out
vb. 2. 1820 Sc. – to snarl or growl as a dog
• YIRRA!
int. 1892 Ireland – an exclamation of surprise
• YIRZE
adj. 1825 Sc. obs. – unacquainted
• YIS
n. 1820 Eng. dial. – a large earthworm
• YIT
n. 1898 Amer. dial., derogatory – a Jewish man or woman
• YMMER
vb. 1825 Sc. obs. – to break into fragments
• YO
n. 1. 1991 US sl. – a dolt, a fool
n. 1999 US sl. – in craps: a roll of eleven
phr. 1944 orig. & chiefly US – used as a greeting
• YOA
int. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a call used in driving sheep
• YOAK
vb. Bk1905 Sc. – to look
• YOAM
n. 1864 Sc. – steam, vapour; a blast of warm air; a warm aroma
• YOAN
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a groan
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to slide the notes into each other in singing
• YOB
n. 1927 Brit. sl. – a lout or hooligan
• YOBBIN
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to cry
• YOBBINS
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – an uproar, a row
• YOBBISH
adj. 1955 sl. – loutish; rowdy, aggressive, violent
• YOBBO
n. 1938 Brit. sl. – a violent person; a thug; a ruffian
• YOBBY
adj. 1955 sl. – rowdy, aggressive, violent
• YOBO
n. 1. 1938 Brit. sl. – a violent person; a thug; a ruffian
n. 2. 1967 Hawaii – a Korean or person of Korean descent
• YOCHA
n. 1857 Eng. dial. – to laugh
• YOCHEL
n. Bk1905 Sc. – a ‘yokel’; a stupid, awkward person
• YOCHIE
n. 1994 US sl. – in the language surround the Grateful Dead: a follower of the band who has lost all touch with reality
• YOCHO
n. Bk1905 Sc. – a ‘yokel’; a stupid, awkward person
• YOCH-YAW
vb. 1857 Eng. dial. – to laugh
• YOCK
n. 1. 1938 theatrical sl., chiefly US – a laugh
n. 2. 20C US sl. – a stupid fellow; an oaf
vb. 1938 theatrical sl., chiefly US – to laugh
• YOCKEN
vb. 1. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to thrash severely
vb. 2. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to choke
vb. 3. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to gargle
vb. 4. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to gulp; to swallow greedily or noisily
• YOCKING
adj. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – of females: desirous of a male
• YOCKS!
int. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a call of encouragement to a dog hunting rabbits, etc.
• YODEL
vb. 1. Bk1999 Aust. sl. – to vomit
vb. 2. 20C US sl. – to commit sodomy
• YODELANIA
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – Switzerland
• YODEL LAND
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – Switzerland
• YOE
n. Bk1999 Aust. sl., obs. – a sheep, a ewe
• YOFF
vb. c1630 obs. – to make a sound resembling the grunt of a pig
• YOFFA
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to laugh
• YOFFLE
vb. 1821 Eng. dial. – to eat, esp. to eat or drink greedily and with noise
• YOG
n. 20C Brit. back-slang for ‘goy’, sometimes derogatory – a non-Jew
• YOGHURT TRUCK
n. 1990s sl. – the penis
• YOGI
n. 1996 US sl. – a poker player with the annoying habit of coaching other players
• YOICKS-BOB
int. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – an exclamation of surprise
• YOIK
vb. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – to force; to prise open
• YOK
n. 1. 1923 sl., derogatory – a person who is not Jewish
n. 2. 1938 theatrical sl., chiefly US – a laugh
vb. 1938 theatrical sl., chiefly US – to laugh
• YOKE
n. 1. 1750 Eng. dial. – a hiccup; generally used in plural
n. 2. 1812 Sc. – a game, a match; a trial of skill
n. 3. 1892 Sc. – a grip, a grasp, a hold
n. 4. Bk1905 Sc. – a dispute; a quarrel
n. 5. 1951 US sl. – robbery by force
n. 6. 1987 US sl., orig. military sl. – a choke hold
vb. 1. 1766 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to cough; to hiccup; to retch
vb. 2. 1773 Sc. – to burden; to bind down; to fasten; to oppress
vb. 3. 1775 Sc. – to attack; to grip, to seize; to tackle; to meddle with; to fight; to engage in, to dispute
vb. 4. 1789 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to join; to match; to marry
vb. 5. 1805 Sc. & Eng. dial. – to enter on any sort of employment with vigour or keenness; to set to; to begin
vb. 6. 1900s sl. – to rob with violence; to rob and mutilate; to ‘mug’
vb. 6. 1977 US sl. – to grab around the neck
• YOKE BY THE EARS
vb. 1796 Sc. obs. – to set by the ears; to set quarrelling
• YOKED
adj. 1993 US sl. – muscular
• YOKEL
n. 1. 1812 sl. – an unsophisticated, gullible person, a bumpkin, an oaf
n. 2. 1882 Eng. dial. – the green woodpecker, Gecinus viridis
n. 3. M20 African-American sl. – a term of contempt for a White person
• YOKELET
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – an old name for a little farm or manor
• YOKELIFIED
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – boorish; rustic
• YOKELISH
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – boorish; rustic
• YOKE MINISTER
n. 2008 Amer. dial. – a clergyperson serving two congregations
• YOKE PASTOR
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a clergyperson serving two congregations
• YOKER
n. 1900s sl. – a person who ‘yokes’ criminally (yoke – to rob with violence)
• YOKE ROBBING
n. 1977 US sl. – stealing a purse from over a woman’s neck
• YOKEY
adj. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – boorish; rustic
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a rascal; a fine fellow, used ironically
• YOKEY-MOLKIT
n. 1. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a tabby cat
n. 2. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a yellow, unhealthy-looking person
• YOKING
n. 1660 Sc. obs. – a contest, a fight, a tussle; a mauling
• YOKKEL
n. 1897 Sc. – a shoulder; a shoulder-like formation on the side of a hill
• YOKLY-MOLEKIT
n. Bk1905 Eng. dial. – a tabby cat
• YOLA
n. 1947 sl. – a female mulatto
• YOLANDA
n. 1999 US sl. – in craps: a roll of eleven
• YOLD
n. 1968 US sl. – a sucker or a dupe; one who is easily fooled; an easy victim
• YOLKED
adj. 1993 US sl. – muscular
• YOLL
vb. 1825 Sc. – to lay low, to knock down, to fell, to flatten to the ground
• YOLLOCK!
int. 1880 Eng. dial. – look here! an exclamation denoting surprise or calling attention to anything
• YOLLOP
n. 1959 Amer. dial. – a bark, a howl, a yelp
vb. 1887 Amer. dial. – to bark, to yelp, to howl
• YOLLUP
vb. 1898 Eng. dial. – to chatter idly
• YOLP
vb. a1300 chiefly Eng. dial. – to shout or exclaim hoarsely; to yelp, as a dog; to cry harshly or querulously, as a bird
• YOLT
n. 1968 sl. – an easy victim; a sucker or a dupe; one who is easily fooled
• YOM
n. 1977 US sl. – a person, a fellow
• YO’ MAMA!
int. 1971 Amer. dial. – used as a general insult or intentionally provocative remark, or as a retort in response to such a remark
• YOMER
vb. 1. 1774 Sc. – to lament; to cry aloud fretfully; to fret; to whimper; to complain; to grumble
vb. 2. 1835 Sc. – to make a great outcry, or a loud, disagreeable noise; to talk loudly or persistently; to shout; to scold
• YOMO
n. 1992 US sl. – a person, a fellow
• YOMP
n. 1982 Brit. sl., esp. Royal Marines usage – marching with heavy equipment over difficult terrain
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Updated: October 1, 2022
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