c instructions plural: an outline or manual of technical procedure : directions d: a code that tells a computer to perform a particular operation 2: the action, practice, or profession of teaching
The yield curve describes the yields for Treasury bills, notes and bonds. It's called a curve because, if it were plotted on a graph, the yields would normally slope up. That's because Treasury bills, which are of short duration, don't usually pay as high a yield as the notes and even longer-term bonds. Why?
Think of yield as the return provided by a fixed income investment. The yield of a bond is based on both the purchase price of the bond and the interest (or coupon) payments received each year. Yield is often the term used to describe long-term interest rates.