rood (n.) Look up rood at Dictionary.com
Old English rod "pole," varying from 6 to 8 yards, also "cross," especially that upon which Christ suffered, also "measure of land," prop. 40 square poles or perches, from Proto-Germanic *rodo (cf. Old Saxon ruoda "stake, pile, cross," Old Frisian rode, Middle Dutch roede, Old High German ruota, German Rute "rod"), probably connected with the root of rod. Klein suggests a connection between this group and Latin ratis "raft," retae "trees standing on the bank of a stream;" Old Church Slavonic ratiste "spear, staff," Lithuanian rekles "scaffolding."