straightedge

American  

[streyt-ej] / ˈstreɪtˌɛdʒ /

noun

1. a bar or strip of wood, plastic, or metal having at least one long edge of sufficiently reliable straightness for use in drawing or testing straight lines, plane surfaces, etc.

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straightedge British  

/ ˈstreɪtˌɛdʒ /

noun

1. a stiff strip of wood or metal that has one edge straight and true and is used for ruling and testing straight lines

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Other Word Forms

• straightedged
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of straightedge

First recorded in 1805–15; straight + edge

Example Sentences

Hunter is as straightedge as they come, but he’s, er, a difficult child.

From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2022

A straightedge can be used to extend a line segment in any direction, and a compass can be used to draw a circle with any radius from the chosen center.

From Scientific American • Sep. 14, 2021

The black x’s eventually became a hallmark of the straightedge hardcore scene.

From The Guardian • Feb. 3, 2016

Customers come for the straightedge shaves and straight talk.

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2015

The famous unsolved problems of the day were geometric: With only a straightedge and compasses, could you make a square equal in area to a given circle?

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife