yard (1) — ODE

yard1 /jɑːd

▸ noun

1 (abbreviation yd) a unit of linear measure equal to 3 feet (0.9144 metre):

a full skirt that took twenty yards of cloth.

▪ (yards of) informal a great length of something:

yards and yards of fine lace.

▪ a square or cubic yard, especially of sand or other building materials.

2 a cylindrical spar, tapering to each end, slung across a ship's mast for a sail to hang from.

3 US English informal 100 dollars; a 100 dollar bill:

it cost two hundred up front—one yard for Maurice, one for the girl.

– PHRASES

by the yard in large numbers or quantities:

golf continues to inspire books by the yard.

– ORIGIN Old English gerd (in yard (sense 2 of the noun)1), of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch gard ‘twig, rod’ and German Gerte.