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A yoke is a wooden bar or frame used to join draft animals, such as oxen, at the head or neck so they can pull together. Historically, yokes were placed across the horns or necks of animals in the early Middle East, Greece, and Rome. This method of yoking could be difficult to control and, for animals pulling hard, could press against their windpipe, causing them to choke. The invention of the horse collar later allowed horses to replace oxen for draft work, though oxen are still yoked in some parts of the world today.1

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  1. yoke
  2. cultivator

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