yardstick

[ yahrd-stik ]

/ ˈyɑrdˌstɪk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR yardstick ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a stick a yard long, commonly marked with subdivisions, used for measuring.

any standard of measurement or judgment: Test scores are not the only yardstick of academic achievement.

QUIZZES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Punctuation marks help make writing easy to read and understand. Some of the most important ones are the period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), and exclamation point (!). How well do you know how to use them? Find out in this quiz!

Question 1 of 10

Which punctuation mark is best for this sentence? "Can I watch a movie __"

comma (,)

period (.)

question mark (?)

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of yardstick

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; yard¹ + stick¹

Words nearby yardstick

yardie, yarding, yardland, yardman, yardmaster, yardstick, yare, yaren, yark, yarkand, yarkant he

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for yardstick

When decisions had to be taken, she attempted to guess what Albert would have done and used this as her yardstick.
How Queen Victoria's Affection For John Brown Sprang From His Contact With Dead Albert's Shade|Tom Sykes|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The yardstick, in other words, is not how a Palestinian group treats its own people but how it treats Israel.
The Pro-Palestinian Left's Hamas Blindspot|Peter Beinart|March 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Like continuity, it provides a yardstick against which we can measure ourselves.
9 Best Life Lessons From ‘How the Queen Can Make You Happy’|Tom Sykes|September 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
That sense of sustained struggle provides the yardstick for judging Obama.
How the Recession May Save Obama|David Frum|August 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST

“$40 million, $50 million a year is excessive, no matter what the yardstick,” he says.
He’s One of the Nation’s Highest-Paid CEOs—and You’ve Never Heard of Him|Gary Rivlin|January 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The yardstick, the half bushel, and the coining of money are all devices to facilitate exchanges.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 9 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
It uses the welfare of man as the yardstick of measure rather than treating the subjects under the head of natural resources.
Industrial Progress and Human Economics|James Hartness
It is about, I would say it was shorter than a yardstick, yes.
Warren Commission (10 of 26): Hearings Vol. X (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Hold a yardstick or meter stick beside the tube, remembering to keep the tube straight up and down.
Common Science|Carleton W. Washburne
Let the general good be our yardstick on every great issue of our time.
Complete State of the Union Addresses from 1790 to 2006|Various

British Dictionary definitions for yardstick

yardstick

/ (ˈjɑːdˌstɪk) /

noun

a measure or standard used for comparisonon what kind of yardstick is he basing his criticism?

a graduated stick, one yard long, used for measurement

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

yardstick

noun

QUIZZES

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PUNCTUATION QUIZ

Origin of yardstick

Words nearby yardstick

Words related to yardstick

Example sentences from the Web for yardstick

British Dictionary definitions for yardstick

noun