yardstick
/ˈjɑːdstɪk/noun
1- a measuring rod a yard long, typically divided into inches码尺。
1.1
- a standard used for comparison尺度; 衡量标准, 比较的标准：
league tables are not the only yardstick of schools' performance.
名次表并不是衡量学校表现的惟一尺度。