criterion, standard, touchstone, measure - a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "they set the measure for all subsequent work"

Beaufort scale, wind scale - an international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane)

index - a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number

logarithmic scale - scale on which actual distances from the origin are proportional to the logarithms of the corresponding scale numbers

Mercalli scale - a scale of earthquake intensity; an earthquake detected only by seismographs is a I and an earthquake that destroys all buildings is a XII

Mohs scale - a scale of hardness of solids; talc is 0 and diamond is 10; ordering is determined by which substance can scratch another substance

Richter scale - a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 used to express the energy released by an earthquake

temperature scale - a system of measuring temperature

wage scale, wage schedule - a schedule of wages paid for different jobs