An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A device for joining together a pair of draft animals, especially oxen, usually consisting of a crosspiece with two bow-shaped pieces, each enclosing the head of an animal (dictionary.com).
→ yoke mounting.

M.E.; O.E. geoc "yoke," earlier geoht (cf. O.S. juk, Dan. aag, M.Du. joc, Du. juk, O.H.G. joh, Ger. joch, Goth. juk "yoke"); cognate with Pers. yuq, as below

Yuq "yoke," variants yuj, juh, jut, jot; Mid.Pers. jug, ayoxtan "to join, yoke;" Av. yaog- "to yoke, put to; to join, unite;" cf. Skt. yugam "yoke;" Hittite yugan "yoke;" Gk. zygon "yoke," as above, zeugnyanai "to join, unite;" L. jungere "to join," O.C.S. igo, O.Welsh iou, Lith. jungas O.E. geoc, as above; PIE base *yeug- "to join."

A form of → English mounting in which the → telescope is suspended inside an inclined fork, supported at both ends, and forming a → right ascension axis parallel to the Earth's → axis. The telescope pivots about the → declination axis inside two parallel forks.

→ yoke; → mounting.