yoke

C2 Topic:Animals

Also spelled yoak

US /joʊk/ UK /jəʊk/ See IPA manual

Freq #24017

Meanings

1

noun
stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team

The oxen were used to pulling the plow with the yoke.
2

noun
fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment

The tailor had to patch the yoke of my shirt.
3

noun
a connection, like a clamp or vise, between two things so they move together

The yoke between the parts was firm after the glue dried.
4

noun
support consisting of a wooden frame across the shoulders that enables a person to carry buckets hanging from each end

The farmer carried buckets of water with a yoke back to the house.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a connection, like a clamp... coupling

Word family

Derived forms underyokeyoke-devilyoke-footedyoke-pinyoke-toedyoker

Simplified etymology

Yoke is an Old English word and is distantly related to Sanskrit yoga, meaning “union.”

Etymology

From Middle English yok, yoke, ȝok from Old English ġeoc (“yoke”), from Proto-Germanic *juką (“yoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *yugóm (“yoke”), from *yewg- (“to join; to tie together, yoke”). Doublet of yuga, jugum, yoga and possibly yogh. Senses 3.1 (“area of arable land”) and 3.2 (“amount of work done with draught animals”) probably referred to the area of land that could generally be ploughed by yoked draught animals within a given time.

Topics

Animals

External links

# yoke

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /joʊk/
**IPA (UK):** /jəʊk/
**Frequency rank:** 24017

## Meanings
1. stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team
2. fabric comprising a fitted part at the top of a garment
3. a connection, like a clamp or vise, between two things so they move together
4. support consisting of a wooden frame across the shoulders that enables a person to carry buckets hanging from each end

## Examples
- The oxen were used to pulling the plow with the yoke.
- The tailor had to patch the yoke of my shirt.
- The yoke between the parts was firm after the glue dried.
- The farmer carried buckets of water with a yoke back to the house.

## Synonyms
- coupling

## Derived Forms
- underyoke
- yoke-devil
- yoke-footed
- yoke-pin
- yoke-toed
- yoker

## Etymology
From Middle English yok, yoke, ȝok from Old English ġeoc (“yoke”), from Proto-Germanic *juką (“yoke”), from Proto-Indo-European *yugóm (“yoke”), from *yewg- (“to join; to tie together, yoke”). Doublet of yuga, jugum, yoga and possibly yogh. Senses 3.1 (“area of arable land”) and 3.2 (“amount of work done with draught animals”) probably referred to the area of land that could generally be ploughed by yoked draught animals within a given time.

## Topics
- Animals

markdown