measuring stick

Breast cancer can return after five years, but five-year survival is an accepted measuring stick.

The consumptive bends over his work, fearfully eyeing the keeper's measuring stick.

I am sure they do not like to be stretched up to a measuring-stick every morning at eight o'clock.

So again we brought our measuring stick into play, but again the measure was not quite right, but still not far out.

"You use the conventional measuring-stick on him," her husband answered, with that tolerance which so often surprised her.

Miss Georgie regarded her with the frown she used when she was applying her mental measuring-stick.