(n.) A board, or piece of wood or metal, having one edge perfectly straight, -- used to ascertain whether a line is straight or a surface even, and for drawing straight lines.

Aristotelian sorites Goclenian sorites Procrustean law SOP T square a priori truth acme act act on administration antetype antitype apothegm appointment apriorism archetype as a rule ascendancy assize authority authorization average axiom balance ban bar barometer be in be in force be the rage be the rule be the thing be-all and end-all bear reign bid bill biotype blue ribbon brevet brocard bull bylaw bypass call on call the shots call the signals call upon canon carry authority categorical syllogism center championship charge charisma charm check chiefly civil government classic example claws clout clutches code command commandment commission common practice commonly conclude condemn consequence control convention crack the whip credit criterion customarily customs decide declaration declare decorum decree decree-law decreement decretal decretum deduce deem degree determine dictate dictation dictum diktat dilemma direct direction directive directorship discipline dismiss dispensation dispose disposition disregard dominance dominate domination domineer dominion doom drill edict edictum effect effectiveness eliminate eminence empery empire enactment enchantment enjoin enthymeme epitome esteem etiquette exclude fact favor fiat figure find find against find for first place first prize forbid force form form of government formality formula formulary fugleman fugler fundamental gather gauge general orders general principle generality generally genotype give an order give the word gnome golden mean golden rule good feeling govern governance government graduated scale grip guide guideline guiding principle hand hands happy medium have clout have power have the power have the right have the say head up headship hegemony height highest hold ignore imitatee imperative imperium importance in the main incidental power infer influence influentiality insinuation institution instruct instruction ipse dixit iron hand issue a command issue a writ judge jurisdiction jus juste-milieu kingship law law of nature lay off lay out lead leadership legislation leverage lex lordship magnetism mainly manage management mandate mark off mark out mastership mastery matter of course maxim maximum mean measure measure off measure out median mediocrity medium middle middle course middle ground middle point middle position middle state middle-of-the-road midpoint mirror mitzvah mode model modus tollens moment mood moral most mostly ne plus ultra