measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior; "it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast"; "short haircuts were the regulation"
(mathematics) a standard procedure for solving a class of mathematical problems; "he determined the upper bound with Descartes' rule of signs"; "he gave us a general formula for attacking polynomials"
any one of a systematic body of regulations defining the way of life of members of a religious order; "the rule of St. Dominic"
prescribed guide for conduct or action
directions that define the way a game or sport is to be conducted; "he knew the rules of chess"
(linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice
the duration of a monarch's or government's power; "during the rule of Elizabeth"
keep in check; "rule one's temper"
decide with authority; "The King decreed that all firstborn males should be killed"
decide on and make a declaration about; "find someone guilty"
an upright pole or beam (especially one used as a support); "distance was marked by standards every mile"; "lamps supported on standards provided illumination"
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work"
the value behind the money in a monetary system
a board measure = 1980 board feet
commonly used or supplied; "standard procedure"; "standard car equipment"
regularly and widely used or sold; "a standard size"; "a stock item"
established or widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence; "a standard reference work"
conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind; "windows of standard width"; "standard sizes"; "the standard fixtures"; "standard brands"; "standard operating procedure"
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers; "standard English" (American); "received standard English is sometimes called the King's English" (British)
the kitchen area for food preparation on an airliner
(classical antiquity) a crescent-shaped seagoing vessel propelled by oars
a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect; "The customs agent examined the baggage"; "I must see your passport before you can enter the country"
(craps) a first roll of 7 or 11 that immediately wins the stake
a notation cancelling a previous sharp or flat
someone regarded as certain to succeed; "he's a natural for the job"
being talented through inherited qualities; "a natural leader"; "a born musician"; "an innate talent"
related by blood; not adopted; "natural parent"
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature; "a very natural development"; "our natural environment"; "natural science"; "natural resources"; "natural cliffs"; "natural phenomena"
existing in or produced by nature; not artificial or imitation; "a natural pearl"; "natural gas"; "natural silk"; "natural blonde hair"; "a natural sweetener"; "natural fertilizers"
existing in or in conformity with nature or the observable world; neither supernatural nor magical; "a perfectly natural explanation"
(of a key) containing no sharps or flats; (of a note) being neither raised nor lowered by one chromatic semitone; "a natural scale"; "B natural"
functioning or occurring in a normal way; lacking abnormalities or deficiencies; "it's the natural thing to happen"; "natural immunity"; "a grandparent's natural affection for a grandchild"
(used especially of commodities) being unprocessed or manufactured using only simple or minimal processes; "natural yogurt"; "natural produce"; "raw wool"; "raw sugar"; "bales of rude cotton"
unthinking; prompted by (or as if by) instinct; "a cat's natural aversion to water"; "offering to help was as instinctive as breathing"
any measurable property of a device measured under closely specified conditions
the integer part (positive or negative) of the representation of a logarithm; in the expression log 643 = 2.808 the characteristic is 2
typical or distinctive; "heard my friend's characteristic laugh"; "red and gold are the characteristic colors of autumn"; "stripes characteristic of the zebra"