metewand

Etymology

From mete + wand.

metewand means A measuring rod (in both its literal and figurative sense). Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.

Why “metewand” is a great word

METEWAND — [Noun] A measuring rod, used both literally and as a figurative standard. From Middle English 'mete' (to measure) + 'wand' (rod, stick); first attested c. 1440. Unlike 'yardstick' (a modern, commonplace unit) or 'criterion' (an abstract principle for judgment), a metewand is the archaic, physical embodiment of assessment. It is the notched oak pole in a surveyor's hand, the marked rod laid against a bolt of cloth, or the cold length of iron by which armor is gauged—the quiet, persistent truth that every judgment, however lofty, begins with a mark on a stick.

noun

A measuring rod (in both its literal and figurative sense).“A true touchstone , a sure metewand lieth before both their eyes”