precept vs yardstick

precept

noun
  • A rule or principle, especially one governing personal conduct. 

  • An order issued by one local authority to another specifying the rate of tax to be charged on its behalf. 

  • A written command, especially a demand for payment. 

  • A rate or tax set by a precept. 

verb
  • To act as a preceptor; to teach a physician-in-training by supervising their clinical practice. 

yardstick

noun
  • A standard to which other measurements or comparisons are judged. 

  • A measuring rod thirty-six inches (one yard) long. 

How often have the words precept and yardstick occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )