1. a large enclosed area where livestock are kept temporarily before being sold, slaughtered, or shipped

Examples

• The cattle were herded into the stockyard early in the morning.
• Chicago’s Union Stock Yards was once the largest livestock market in the world.
• Farmers brought their sheep to the local stockyard for auction.
• The stockyard was filled with the sounds of lowing cattle and bleating sheep.
• Workers at the stockyard sorted the animals by size and breed.
• The old stockyard has been converted into a shopping center.