Yardstick

n.

1.

A stick three feet, or a yard, in length, used as a measure of cloth, etc.

Noun	1.	yardstick - a measure or standard used for comparison; "on what kind of yardstick is he basing his judgment?"
	2.	yardstick - a ruler or tape that is three feet long Synonyms: yard measure

barometer, basis, benchmark, canon, check, degree, exemplar, graduated scale, model, norm, parameter, pattern, quantity, reading, readout, rule, scale, standard, test, touchstone, type, value