yoke
gb/jˈoʊk/ us/jˈoʊk/
C1
English
~ 26300
iga, igába fog, hozzáköt, összekapcsol, vállrész, kormányszarv
NOUN
C1
1
iga
B2
Usage pattern:
a yoke for [animals]
The farmer lifted the heavy yoke onto the shoulders of the two oxen.
A gazda a nehéz igát a két ökör nyakára emelte.
Once the yoke was in place, the animals slowly pulled the plow across the field.
Miután felkerült az iga, az állatok lassan végighúzták az ekét a földön.
He carved a new yoke after the old one cracked under the weight of the cart.
The cows stood patiently while the yoke was fastened around their necks.
Learner examples
The man put a yoke on the two oxen.
A férfi igát tett a két ökörre.
The oxen pulled the cart under a wooden yoke.
Az ökrök egy fából készült iga alatt húzták a szekeret.
They used a strong yoke to pull the heavy plow.
The farmer made a new yoke for his animals.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "yoke" with "yolk" (the yellow part of an egg). "Yoke" is a wooden frame for animals; "yolk" is related to eggs.
Meaning
wooden frame joining work animals
Collocations
ox yoke
|wooden yoke
|fit a yoke
|yoke and harness
|yoke for the plow
Synonyms
harness (General word for equipment used to control or attach an animal to a load; not limited to the wooden bar between two animals.)
|
crossbar (Describes the shape but does not include the idea of being used on animals.)
Antonyms
freedom (Conceptual opposite when the yoke is seen as something that restrains or controls animals.)
Themes
animals
|farming
|tools
|transportation
|work
Definition
A wooden frame put on the necks of two animals so they can pull something heavy together.
A wooden crosspiece fastened over the necks of two animals, such as oxen, and attached to a plow, cart, or other load so they can pull it together.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
iga
C1
Usage pattern:
the yoke of [oppression/tyranny/debt/marriage]
The country finally threw off the yoke of colonial rule.
Az ország végre lerázta magáról a gyarmati uralom igáját.
Workers struggled for decades under the yoke of poverty and debt.
A munkások évtizedeken át a szegénység és az adósság igája alatt küzdöttek.
The novel describes life under the yoke of a brutal dictatorship.
She felt trapped under the yoke of family expectations.
Learner examples
They fought to break the yoke of a cruel government.
Azért harcoltak, hogy megtörjék egy kegyetlen kormány igáját.
Many people lived under the yoke of fear.
Sokan a félelem igája alatt éltek.
The new law helped people escape the yoke of heavy debt.
He wants to be free from the yoke of his strict boss.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "yoke" always means a wooden tool for animals. In modern writing, it is often used figuratively in phrases like "the yoke of tyranny" or "under the yoke of debt" to describe strong control or oppression.
Meaning
condition of oppression or domination
Collocations
the yoke of tyranny
|the yoke of oppression
|the yoke of debt
|throw off the yoke
|live under the yoke
Synonyms
oppression (General word; lacks the strong image of something heavy resting on a person's neck or shoulders.)
|
bondage (Emphasizes lack of freedom and being bound, often used in historical or religious contexts.)
Antonyms
liberation (Highlights release from oppressive control that the "yoke" represents.)
|
independence (Stresses being free from outside control or rule.)
Themes
politics
|society
|emotions
|law
|relationships
Definition
A heavy and strict control or rule that makes people feel oppressed.
Severe control, domination, or oppression, often described as something that weighs on people like a physical burden.
VERB
C1
3
igába fog
C1
Usage pattern:
to yoke [animals] to [a load]
At dawn they yoked the oxen to the cart and set out for the market.
Hajnalban igába fogták az ökröket a szekér elé, és elindultak a piacra.
The farmer quickly yoked the cattle to the plow before the heat of the day.
A gazda gyorsan igába fogta a marhákat az eke elé, mielőtt beállt volna a nappali hőség.
He showed his grandson how to yoke the two horses correctly.
They yoked the mules together and dragged the logs out of the forest.
Learner examples
The farmer yoked two oxen to the plow.
A gazda két ökröt fogott igába az eke elé.
We watched the man yoke the animals to the cart.
Néztük, ahogy a férfi igába fogja az állatokat a szekér elé.
They yoked the horses together before the long trip.
He will yoke the cows to pull the heavy wagon.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use "yoke" for riding animals (e.g., horses for sport), but it is used mainly for work animals pulling loads, especially in traditional or rural contexts.
Meaning
put a yoke on animals
Collocations
yoke the oxen
|yoke two horses
|yoke cattle to the plow
|yoke the team
|yoke them together
Synonyms
harness (General word for putting equipment on an animal; not limited to a wooden bar for two animals.)
Antonyms
unhitch (Means to detach animals from a vehicle or load, the opposite of yoking them to it.)
|
unharness (Means to remove harness or equipment from an animal.)
Themes
animals
|farming
|work
|transportation
Definition
To put a wooden frame on two animals and connect them to something they will pull.
To fasten a yoke onto two animals and attach them to a plow, cart, or other equipment so they can pull it as a team.
VERB
C1
FORMAL
4
hozzáköt
C1
összekapcsol
B2
Usage pattern:
to yoke [something] to [something]
The policy effectively yokes environmental protection to economic growth.
A politika gyakorlatilag a gazdasági növekedéshez köti a környezetvédelmet.
In his speech, he yoked patriotism to support for the new law.
Beszédében a hazafiságot az új törvény támogatásához kötötte.
The two companies were yoked together in a long-term partnership.
Her name is forever yoked to the scandal in the public mind.
Learner examples
The new rules yoke pay to performance.
Az új szabályok a fizetést a teljesítményhez kötik.
In this book, the writer yokes love and duty.
Ebben a könyvben az író összekapcsolja a szerelmet és a kötelességet.
The two small firms were yoked together in one big company.
His future is now yoked to the success of this project.
Common mistake:
Because this use is formal and often figurative, learners may overuse it in casual speech where simpler verbs like "join" or "link" are more natural. It is also often used in the passive: "A and B are yoked together."
Meaning
link or bind closely together
Collocations
yoke A to B
|yoked together
|yoke religion and politics
|yoke two ideas
|yoke people into alliances
Synonyms
link (More general and neutral; does not carry the strong sense of binding or restriction that "yoke" can suggest.)
|
bind (Emphasizes being tied or held together; slightly less formal and less metaphorical than "yoke".)
Antonyms
separate (Means to move things apart, the opposite of joining them together.)
|
disentangle (Focuses on freeing things from a close or complicated connection.)
Themes
relationships
|politics
|society
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To connect people, ideas, or things very closely so that they are bound together.
To join people, ideas, or things very closely, especially in a way that binds or limits them, often used figuratively.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
vállrész
C1
Usage pattern:
a [shirt/dress/skirt] with a [back/front/waist] yoke
This shirt has a double-layer yoke across the shoulders for extra strength.
Ennek az ingnek a vállrészén dupla anyagréteg van a nagyobb tartósság érdekében.
The dress features a lace yoke and a flowing cotton skirt.
A ruhát csipkés vállrész és bő pamutszoknya jellemzi.
You need to attach the sleeves after sewing the back yoke to the front.
She chose a pattern with a fitted yoke and a gathered lower section.
Learner examples
The shirt has a yoke across the back.
Az ingen hátul egy vállrész van.
Her dress has a white lace yoke at the top.
A ruha felső részén fehér csipkés vállrész van.
The yoke joins the top of the shirt to the rest of the cloth.
He ironed the yoke and then the sleeves of his shirt.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "yoke" in clothing is a technical sewing word and may think it refers to the collar or to the whole top of a garment. It specifically means the shaped piece that other parts are attached to.
Meaning
fitted panel on a garment
Collocations
shoulder yoke
|back yoke
|front yoke
|yoke detail
|dress with a lace yoke
Synonyms
panel (General sewing term for a separate piece of fabric; does not specify position or function like "yoke".)
Antonyms
seamless (Describes garments without such separate joined pieces; contrasts with having a distinct yoke piece.)
Themes
clothing
|fashion
|design
|daily_life
Definition
A shaped piece of cloth in a shirt, dress, or skirt, usually across the shoulders or hips, that the rest of the clothing is sewn to.
A shaped piece of fabric at the top of a garment, such as across the shoulders or hips, to which the main parts of the garment are attached.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
6
kormányszarv
C1
Usage pattern:
to pull/push the yoke
The pilot pulled back on the yoke to lift the nose of the plane.
A pilóta hátrahúzta a kormányszarvat, hogy megemelje a gép orrát.
He kept a light grip on the control yoke during the landing.
Leszállás közben lazán fogta a kormányszarvat.
The engineer adjusted the magnetic yoke to improve the signal.
A failure in the steering yoke caused the machine to veer off course.
Learner examples
The pilot holds the yoke to fly the plane.
A pilóta a kormányszarvat fogja, amikor vezeti a repülőt.
She pushed the yoke forward, and the airplane went down.
Előretolta a kormányszarvat, és a repülőgép süllyedni kezdett.
He moved the control yoke gently to turn left.
The mechanic checked the yoke that connects the two parts.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the animal yoke because of the similar bar shape. In technical and aviation contexts, "yoke" often means a control handle or connector, not farm equipment.
Meaning
bar or frame used as control or connector
Collocations
aircraft yoke
|control yoke
|steering yoke
|magnetic yoke
|grip the yoke
Synonyms
control column (Aviation-specific term for the main control lever; more precise than the general "yoke" for various devices.)
|
connector (Describes the function of some mechanical yokes but is broader and less specific in shape.)
Antonyms
joystick (A different style of control device often contrasted with a yoke in aviation contexts.)
Themes
technology
|transport
|engineering
|transportation
Definition
A bar or handle in a machine, especially in an airplane, that you hold to control it, or a piece that connects parts together.
A bar, frame, or similar piece in a machine or vehicle that connects parts or serves as a control handle, especially the control column used to steer some aircraft.
Grammar
Dictionary form
yoke
IPA
GB/jˈoʊk/
US/jˈoʊk/
Syllables & stress
yoke (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (yoke)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: yoke
- Plural: yoke, yokes
Verb
- Base: yoke
- 3rd Person Singular: yokes
- Present Participle: yoking
- Past: yoked
Word family
Forms
yokes
noun
yoking
verb
yoked
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unyoke
verb
Expressions
throw off the yoke
1/θɹˈoʊ ˈɔf ðə jˈoʊk/
idiom
literary
free oneself from oppression
To become free from hard and unfair control or rule.
Examples
- The people rose up to throw off the yoke of dictatorship.
- Many citizens hoped the new constitution would help them throw off the yoke of corruption.
under the yoke
1/ˈʌndɚ ðə jˈoʊk/
idiom
literary
in a state of oppression
To be controlled in a hard and unfair way by another person, group, or system.
Examples
- For years the region lived under the yoke of military rule.
- Many workers still feel they are under the yoke of low wages and long hours.
yoke together
1/jˈoʊk təɡˈɛðɚ/
phrasal verb
formal
join closely or firmly together
To connect people, ideas, or things very closely so that they are linked as one.
Examples
- The treaty yoked together two countries with very different histories.
- In his argument, he yokes together economics, culture, and politics.
yoke up
1/jˈoʊk ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
put a yoke on animals
To put a yoke on animals and connect them to something they will pull.
Examples
- They yoke up the oxen every morning before sunrise.
- We need to yoke up the horses before we can move the logs.