[steel-yahrd, stil-yerd] 
| a portable balance with two unequal arms, the longer one having a movable counterpoise and the shorter one bearing a hook or the like for holding the object to be weighed. |
steel·yard (stēl'yärd')  (click for larger image in new window) n. A balance consisting of a scaled arm suspended off center, a hook at the shorter end on which to hang the object being weighed, and a counterbalance at the longer end that can be moved to find the weight. [steel + yard1, rod.] |
yərd