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yield

YEELD /jiːld/

nounverbB2GMATIELTSSAT

businesstechnicalgeneral

the amount of agricultural product produced per unit of land.

As a noun, it's the harvest amount; as a verb, it means to produce that amount.

The story behind the word. The Old English 'gieldan' meant to pay, render, or give up. Originally, it was about paying a debt or a tax. In farming, the earth 'pays' the farmer for their hard work with a harvest.

Word relationships

output: A general term for anything produced, often used in manufacturing.
harvest: Refers specifically to the act of gathering the crops or the crops themselves at one time.

shortfall: A failure to produce the expected or required amount.
loss: A decrease in amount, often implying a negative economic result.

Commonly confused with

production: Production is the total amount made; yield is the amount made relative to the area of land.

Word family

yielding (adjective): producing a result or giving way

Collocations

high yield
crop yield
annual yield

Example sentences

"The average yield of wheat per acre has tripled since the mid-20th century due to technological advances." Global food security
"High-yield varieties of rice were the backbone of the Green Revolution." Economic report

Memory hook

The field 'yields' (gives up) its treasure to the farmer. The field's paycheck.

When not to use

In traffic, 'yield' means to give way; in finance, it's a return on investment. Ensure the context is agricultural.

Fun facts

The 'Yield Gap' is a term used by scientists to describe the difference between the maximum possible crop yield and what farmers actually achieve.