yoke, n. [OE. yok, , AS. geoc; akin to D. juk, OHG. joh, G. joch, Icel. & Sw. ok, Dan. aag, Goth. juk, Lith. jungas, Russ. igo, L. jugum, Gr. zy`gon, Skr. yuga, and to L. jungere to join, Gr. , Skr. yui. Join, Jougs, Joust, Jugular, Subjugate, Syzygy, Yuga, Zeugma.].

A bar or frame of wood by which two oxen are joined at the heads or necks for working together. [1913 Webster]
" The modern yoke for oxen is usually a piece of timber hollowed, or made curving, near each end, and laid on the necks of the oxen, being secured in place by two bows, one inclosing each neck, and fastened through the timber. In some countries the yoke consists of a flat piece of wood fastened to the foreheads of the oxen by thongs about the horns." [1913 Webster]

"A yearling bullock to thy name shall smoke,
Untamed, unconscious of the galling yoke." [1913 Webster]

A frame or piece resembling a yoke, as in use or shape. [1913 Webster]

Fig.: That which connects or binds; a chain; a link; a bond connection. [1913 Webster]
"Boweth your neck under that blissful yoke . . .
Which that men clepeth spousal or wedlock." [1913 Webster]

"This yoke of marriage from us both remove." [1913 Webster]

A mark of servitude; hence, servitude; slavery; bondage; service. [1913 Webster]
"Our country sinks beneath the yoke." [1913 Webster]

"My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." [1913 Webster]

Two animals yoked together; a couple; a pair that work together. [1913 Webster]
"I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them." [1913 Webster]

The quantity of land plowed in a day by a yoke of oxen. Gardner. [1913 Webster]

A portion of the working day; as, to work two yokes, that is, to work both portions of the day, or morning and afternoon. Halliwell. [1913 Webster]

A clamp or similar piece that embraces two other parts to hold or unite them in their respective or relative positions, as a strap connecting a slide valve to the valve stem, or the soft iron block or bar permanently connecting the pole pieces of an electromagnet, as in a dynamo. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

Neck yoke, Pig yoke. See under Neck, and Pig. -- Yoke elm (Bot.), the European hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus), a small tree with tough white wood, often used for making yokes for cattle.

yoke, v. t.

To put a yoke on; to join in or with a yoke; as, to yoke oxen, or pair of oxen. [1913 Webster]

To couple; to join with another. 2 Cor. vi. 14. [1913 Webster]
"Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb." [1913 Webster]

To enslave; to bring into bondage; to restrain; to confine. [1913 Webster]
"Then were they yoked with garrisons." [1913 Webster]

"The words and promises that yoke
The conqueror are quickly broke." [1913 Webster]

yoke, v. i.

To be joined or associated; to be intimately connected; to consort closely; to mate. [1913 Webster]
"We 'll yoke together, like a double shadow." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

yoke, n. & v.
--n.
1 a wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two oxen etc. and attached to the plough or wagon to be drawn.
2 (pl. same or yokes) a pair (of oxen etc.).
3 an object like a yoke in form or function, e.g. a wooden shoulder-piece for carrying a pair of pails, the top section of a dress or skirt etc. from which the rest hangs.
4 sway, dominion, or servitude, esp. when oppressive.
5 a bond or union, esp. that of marriage.
6 Rom.Hist. an uplifted yoke, or an arch of three spears symbolizing it, under which a defeated army was made to march.
7 archaic the amount of land that one yoke of oxen could plough in a day.
8 a crossbar on which a bell swings.
9 the crossbar of a rudder to whose ends ropes are fastened.
10 a bar of soft iron between the poles of an electromagnet.
--v.
1 tr. put a yoke on.
2 tr. couple or unite (a pair).
3 tr. (foll. by to) link (one thing) to (another).
4 intr. match or work together.

Etymology

OE geoc f. Gmc

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DEVIL DICTIONARY

yoke
n. An implement, madam, to whose Latin name, _jugum_, we owe one of the most illuminating words in our language -- a word that defines the matrimonial situation with precision, point and poignancy. A thousand apologies for withholding it.

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THESAURUS

yoke
Oregon boat, accouple, accumulate, agglutinate, amass, articulate, assemble, associate, back band, backstrap, band, bearing rein, bed, bed down, bellyband, bilbo, bit, blinders, blinds, bond, bonds, both, brace, bracket, break, breeching, bridge, bridge over, bridle, brush, camisole, caparison, cavesson, cement, chain, chains, checkrein, cheekpiece, chinband, cinch, clap together, collar, collect, combine, comprise, concatenate, conglobulate, conjoin, conjugate, connect, copulate, couple, couple up, couplet, cover, crownband, crupper, cuffs, curb, curry, currycomb, distich, double harness, double-harness, double-team, doublet, drench, duad, duet, duo, dyad, embrace, encompass, enslavement, feed, fetter, fodder, gag, gag swivel, gather, gentle, girth, glue, groom, gyves, hackamore, halter, hames, hametugs, hamper, handcuffs, handle, harness, headgear, headstall, helotry, hip straps, hitch, hitch up, hobbles, hook up, hopples, include, irons, jaquima, jerk line, join, knot, lay together, leading strings, league, leash, ligament, ligature, lines, link, litter, lump together, manacle, manage, marry, marshal, martingale, mass, match, mate, mates, merge, milk, mobilize, muzzle, nexus, noseband, pair, pair off, peonage, piece together, pillory, pole strap, put together, reins, restraint, restraints, ribbons, roll into one, rub down, saddle, serfdom, servility, servitude, set of two, shackle, shaft tug, side check, slavery, snaffle, solder, span, splice, stick together, stocks, straightjacket, strait-waistcoat, straitjacket, stranglehold, surcingle, tack, tackle, take in, tame, tape, team, team up, tend, tether, the two, thralldom, tie, train, trammel, trammels, trappings, tug, twain, two, twosome, unify, unite, vinculum, water, wed, weld, winker braces

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ROGET THESAURUS

yoke

Junction
VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.

Connection
N connection, vinculum, link, connective, connection, junction, bond of union, copula, hyphen, intermedium, bracket, bridge, stepping-stone, isthmus, bond, tendon, tendril, fiber, cord, cordage, riband, ribbon, rope, guy, cable, line, halser, hawser, painter, moorings, wire, chain, string, fastener, fastening, tie, ligament, ligature, strap, tackle, rigging, standing rigging, running rigging, traces, harness, yoke, band ribband, bandage, brace, roller, fillet, inkle, with, withe, withy, thong, braid, girder, tiebeam, girth, girdle, cestus, garter, halter, noose, lasso, surcingle, knot, running knot, cabestro, cinch, lariat, legadero, oxreim, suspenders, pin, corking pin, nail, brad, tack, skewer, staple, corrugated fastener, clamp, U-clamp, C-clamp, cramp, cramp iron, ratchet, detent, larigo, pawl, terret, treenail, screw, button, buckle, clasp, hasp, hinge, hank, catch, latch, bolt, latchet, tag, tooth, hook, hook and eye, lock, holdfast, padlock, rivet, anchor, grappling iron, trennel, stake, post, cement, glue, gum, paste, size, wafer, solder, lute, putty, birdlime, mortar, stucco, plaster, grout, viscum, shackle, rein, prop.

Duality
N duality, dualism, duplicity, biplicity, biformity, polarity, two, deuce, couple, duet, brace, pair, cheeks, twins, Castor and Pollux, gemini, Siamese twins, fellows, yoke, conjugation, dispermy, doublets, dyad, span, two, twin, dual, dualistic, double, binary, binomial, twin, biparous, dyadic, conduplicate, duplex, biduous, binate, diphyletic, dispermic, unijugate, tete-a-tete, coupled, conjugate, both, both the one and the other.

VB pair, couple, bracket, yoke, conduplicate, mate, span.

Subjection
N subjection, dependence, dependency, subordination, thrall, thralldom, thraldom, enthrallment, subjugation, bondage, serfdom, feudalism, feudality, vassalage, villenage, slavery, enslavement, involuntary servitude, conquest, service, servitude, servitorship, tendence, employ, tutelage, clientship, liability, constraint, oppression, yoke, submission, obedience, subject, dependent, subordinate, feudal, feudatory, in subjection to, under control, in leading strings, in harness, subjected, enslaved, constrained, downtrodden, overborne, overwhelmed, under the lash, on the hip, led by the nose, henpecked, the puppet of, the sport of, the plaything of, under one's orders, under one's command, under one's thumb, a slave to, at the mercy of, in the power of, in the hands of, in the clutches of, at the feet of, at one's beck and call, liable, parasitical, stipendiary, under, slaves - in a land of light and law.

Prison
N prison, prison house, jail, gaol, cage, coop, den, cell, stronghold, fortress, keep, donjon, dungeon, Bastille, oubliette, bridewell, house of correction, hulks, tollbooth, panopticon, penitentiary, guardroom, lockup, hold, round house, watch house, station house, sponging house, station, house of detention, black hole, pen, fold, pound, inclosure, isolation (exclusion), penal settlement, penal colony, bilboes, stocks, limbo, quod, calaboose, chauki, choky, thana, workhouse, Newgate, Fleet, Marshalsea, King's Bench, Queen's Bench, bond, bandage, irons, pinion, gyve, fetter, shackle, trammel, manacle, handcuff, straight jacket, strait jacket, strait-jacket, strait-waistcoat, hopples, vice, vise, yoke, collar, halter, harness, muzzle, gag, bit, brake, curb, snaffle, bridle, rein, reins, bearing rein, martingale, leading string, tether, picket, band, guy, chain, cord, cavesson, hackamore, headstall, jaquima, lines, ribbons, bolt, deadbolt, bar, lock, police lock, combination lock, padlock, rail, wall, stone wall, paling, palisade, fence, picket fence, barbed wire fence, Cyclone fence, stockade fence, chain-link fence, barrier, barricade, drag.

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