yardstick
/ˈjɑrdˌstɪk/
noun
- A standard or criterion used for judging or measuring something.
- The company's safety record became the yardstick for the entire industry.
- Many people use test scores as a yardstick for intelligence, but that can be misleading.
- Customer satisfaction is the main yardstick for measuring our success.
- A measuring stick that is one yard (36 inches) long.
- In the classroom, the teacher used a yardstick to show how long a yard really is.
- She marked the fabric with chalk and checked the length with a yardstick.
- The carpenter pulled a yardstick from his apron to measure the board.