Yard. An English measure of 3 feet or 36 inches. How this particular measure came to be first established in England is uncertain, but it has so intimate a relationship to the standards employed by the ancient Egyptians and Hebrews that authorities consider that it may not improbably be traced to these ancient units. The present standard has been scientifically fixed by the United States government to the one-millionth part of an inch. [See Measures, Metric System]