n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English yarde, from Old English gierd twig, measure, yard; akin to Old High German gart stick, Latin hasta spear
Date: before 12th century
1 : any of various units of measure: as a : a unit of length equal in the U.S. to 0.9144 meter ― see WEIGHT table b : a unit of volume equal to a cubic yard
2 a : a great length or quantity <remembered yard s of facts and figures> b slang : one hundred dollars
3 : a long spar tapered toward the ends to support and spread the head of a square sail, lateen, or lugsail
4 : a slender horn-shaped glass about three feet tall also : the amount it contains <a yard of ale>
– the whole nine yards : all of a related set of circumstances, conditions, or details <who could learn the most about making records, about electronics and engineering, the whole nine yards ― Stephen Stills> ― sometimes used adverbially with go to indicate an all-out effort