yard ‧ stick /ˈjɑːdˌstɪk $ ˈjɑːrd-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . something that you compare another thing with, in order to judge how good or successful it is
yardstick of
Profit is the most important yardstick of success for any business.
as a yardstick
These subjects are used as a yardstick against which to measure the children’s progress.
2 . a special stick used for measuring things, which is exactly one ↑ yard long