Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fabric sold by length: Yard goods refers to textiles, such as cloth or fabric, that are sold in measured lengths (by the yard, meter, or bolt) rather than as pre-made items like clothing or curtains.

Usage

• This term is used primarily in retail, sewing, and textile contexts to describe uncut fabric available for purchase.
• It is a countable noun, often used in the plural form "yard goods" or with quantifiers like "some yard goods" or "a bolt of yard goods."

Examples

• Noun:
  • She went to the store to buy some yard goods for her new sewing project.
  • The shop specializes in fine yard goods like silk and linen.
  • Before the advent of ready-made clothing, people purchased yard goods to make their own garments.

Advanced Usage

• While the term is less common in everyday modern speech, it remains standard in specific industries like fabric retail, historical contexts, and sewing communities.
• It can be used to distinguish between buying fabric by length and buying finished textile products.

Variants and Related Words

• Piece goods: A synonym for yard goods, also meaning fabric sold in measured lengths.
• Bolt (of cloth/fabric): A large roll of yard goods.
• Fabric (n): A more general term for material made from fibers.
• Textile (n): A broader term encompassing any type of cloth or woven fabric.

Synonyms

• Fabric by the yard
• Cloth by the yard
• Piece goods
• Dry goods (This is a broader, older term that can include yard goods along with other household textiles and sewing supplies.)

Related Phrases

• Sold by the yard: The descriptive phrase from which the noun "yard goods" is derived.
  • This linen is sold by the yard.

Noun

1. merchandise in the form of fabrics sold by the yard