Definition of "bread"

Maybe somebody would see him and recognize him, maybe one of the guys would lay enough bread on him for a meal or at least subway fare.

1962, James Baldwin, Another Country, New York, N. Y.: The Dial Press, published 1963 January, pages 3–4

[…] save up all your bread, and fly Trans-Love Airways to San Francisco, USA.

1967, “San Franciscan Nights”, in Winds of Change, performed by Eric Burdon and The Animals

And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar / And say, "Man, what are you doing here?"

1973, Billy Joel (lyrics and music), “Piano Man”, Billy Joel (music), performed by Billy Joel

Tastes like fruit when you hit it; got to have bread to get it.

2005, “Stay Fly”, in Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), Most Known Unknown‎, performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG), Sony BMG