yardstick

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
yardstick
    n 1: a measure or standard used for comparison; "on what kind of
         yardstick is he basing his judgment?"
    2: a ruler or tape that is three feet long [syn: {yardstick},
       {yard measure}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Yardstick \Yard"stick`\ (y[aum]rd"st[i^]k`), n.
   A stick three feet, or a yard, in length, used as a measure
   of distance, cloth, etc.
   [1913 Webster]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
25 Moby Thesaurus words for "yardstick":
      barometer, basis, benchmark, canon, check, criterion, degree,
      exemplar, gauge, graduated scale, measure, model, norm, parameter,
      pattern, quantity, reading, readout, rule, scale, standard, test,
      touchstone, type, value

    

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