What is yield in cooking?

The term "yield," when used in cooking, refers to the number of servings that are generated by a particular recipe. In most recipes, the term "yields, " followed by a number, is used at the beginning or the end of an ingredient list.

According to Dictionary.com, the term "yield" means to give forth or produce by a natural process or in return for cultivation. Many recipes use this formal term to provide cooks with an idea of how much food is produced as a result of a particular cooking process. Some recipes use the terms "makes" or "serves" instead of "yields," but the meaning is the same.