footrule en · NOUN
Etymology
From foot + rule.
Meanings
-
A ruler that measures in feet.
To argue as if there were somewhere a concrete thing called justice — like a footrule — is an illusion. A footrule that was six inches long at one time and twelve at another, would create inextricable confusion, its length being altered and not its name […]
1873, Henry Bleckly, A Colloquy on the Utilitarian Theory of Morals Presented in Mr. W. E. H. Lecky's History of European morals from Augustus to Charlemagne:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| footrules | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| foot-rule | alternative | lexicographic |
Translations (1)
es cartabón (Translations)