Meanings
nounruler (plural rulers)
plural rulers
- A (usually rigid), flat, rectangular measuring or drawing device with graduations in units of measurement; a straightedge with markings.
Take this ruler. […] I want you to measure the glass of the lamp.
1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max CarradosSynonyms: rule
- A person who rules or governs; someone or something that exercises dominion or controlling power over others.
The carcharhinids are unquestionably the rulers of the seas, because of their abundance, their strength and speed, and their unchallenged position as the number one predators in the marine ecosystem.
1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 1221 more example
LIKE THE MANDARINS of old, the rulers of China live behind high walls. When they emerge, which they rarely do, they travel in cars with rear windows curtained like sedan chairs. They live in the Chung Nan Hai, a walled park adjacent to the Forbidden City from where ancient dynasties ruled the Celestial Empire.
1991, Chris Mullin, The Year of the Fire Monkey (Fiction), London: Chatto & Windus, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 252
verbruler (third-person singular simple present rulers, present participle rulering, simple past and past participle rulered)
present singular third person rulers · participle present rulering · participle past rulered · past rulered
- transitiveTo beat with a ruler (as a traditional school punishment).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA (usually rigid), flat, rectangular measuring or drawing device with graduations in units of measurement; a straightedge with markings.
Similar
Broader
Narrower
More synonyms by meaning
nounmeasuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishreuler
- Englishruler
From Middle English reuler; equivalent to rule + -er.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans liniaal, liniale
- liniaalmeasuring or drawing device
- linialemeasuring or drawing device
- heerserperson who rules or governs
- heersersa female person who rules or governs
Ancient Greek χάραξ, ἀρχός
- χάραξ (khárax)measuring or drawing device
- ἀρχός (arkhós)person who rules or governs
- ἄρχων (árkhōn)person who rules or governs
- ἡγεμών (hēgemṓn)person who rules or governs
Arabic مِسْطَرَة, حَاكِم
- مِسْطَرَة (misṭara)measuring or drawing device
- حَاكِم (ḥākim)person who rules or governs
Basque erregela
- erregelameasuring or drawing device
Bengali মাপনী, শাসক
- মাপনী (mapni)measuring or drawing device
- শাসক (śaśok)person who rules or governs
Bulgarian лини́йка, властели́н
- лини́йка (liníjka)measuring or drawing device
- властели́н (vlastelín)person who rules or governs
- господа́р (gospodár)person who rules or governs
- владе́тел (vladétel)person who rules or governs
- владе́телка (vladételka)a female person who rules or governs
Catalan regle, líder
- reglemeasuring or drawing device
- líderperson who rules or governs
- governantperson who rules or governs
Chinese Cantonese 間尺 /间尺, 尺
- 間尺 /间尺 (gaan³ cek³)measuring or drawing device
- 尺 (cek³)measuring or drawing device
- 直尺 (zik⁶ cek³)measuring or drawing device
Chinese Mandarin 尺, 直尺
- 尺 (chǐ)measuring or drawing device
- 直尺 (zhíchǐ)measuring or drawing device
- 尺子 (chǐzi)measuring or drawing device
- 統治者 /统治者 (tǒngzhìzhě)person who rules or governs
Czech pravítko, vládce
- pravítkomeasuring or drawing device
- vládceperson who rules or governs
- vládkyněa female person who rules or governs
Danish lineal, hersker
- linealmeasuring or drawing device
- herskerperson who rules or governs
- herskerindea female person who rules or governs
Dutch meetlat, liniaal
- meetlatmeasuring or drawing device
- liniaalmeasuring or drawing device
- heerserperson who rules or governs
- heerseresa female person who rules or governs
Esperanto liniilo, regnestro
- liniilomeasuring or drawing device
- regnestroperson who rules or governs
Estonian joonlaud, riigivalitseja
- joonlaudmeasuring or drawing device
- riigivalitsejaperson who rules or governs
Finnish viivain, viivoitin
- viivainmeasuring or drawing device
- viivoitinmeasuring or drawing device
- hallitsijaperson who rules or governs
- vallanpitäjäperson who rules or governs
- hallitsijatara female person who rules or governs
French règle, latte
- règlemeasuring or drawing device
- lattemeasuring or drawing device
- dirigeantperson who rules or governs
- chefperson who rules or governs
German Lineal, Herrscher
- Linealmeasuring or drawing device
- Herrscherperson who rules or governs
- Herrscherina female person who rules or governs
Greek χάρακας, ρίγα
- χάρακας (chárakas)measuring or drawing device
- ρίγα (ríga)measuring or drawing device
- κυβερνήτης (kyvernítis)person who rules or governs
Hebrew סַרְגֵל, מַנְהִיג
- סַרְגֵל (sargél)measuring or drawing device
- מַנְהִיג (manhíg)person who rules or governs
- שַׁלִּיט (shálit)person who rules or governs
Hindi पैमाना, रूलर
- पैमाना (paimānā)measuring or drawing device
- रूलर (rūlar)measuring or drawing device
- शासक (śāsak)person who rules or governs
- हाकिम (hākim)person who rules or governs
- हुक्मरान (hukmarān)person who rules or governs
Hungarian vonalzó, uralkodó
- vonalzómeasuring or drawing device
- uralkodóperson who rules or governs
- uralkodónőa female person who rules or governs
Icelandic reglustika, alvaldur
- reglustikameasuring or drawing device
- alvaldurperson who rules or governs
- drottnariperson who rules or governs
Indonesian penggaris, mistar
- penggarismeasuring or drawing device
- mistarmeasuring or drawing device
- penguasaperson who rules or governs
Irish rialóir, rialtóir
- rialóirmeasuring or drawing device
- rialtóirperson who rules or governs
Italian righello, sovrano
- righellomeasuring or drawing device
- sovranoperson who rules or governs
Japanese 定規, 物差し
- 定規 (jōgi)measuring or drawing device
- 物差し (monosashi)measuring or drawing device
- ルーラー (rūrā)measuring or drawing device
- 支配者 (shihaisha)person who rules or governs
- 知事 (chiji)person who rules or governs
- 統治者 (tōchisha)person who rules or governs
Korean 자, 눈금자
- 자 (ja)measuring or drawing device
- 눈금자 (nun'geumja)measuring or drawing device
- 룰러 (rulleo)measuring or drawing device
- 통치자 (tongchija)person who rules or governs
- 지배자 (jibaeja)person who rules or governs
Latin rēgula, dominātor
- rēgulameasuring or drawing device
- dominātorperson who rules or governs
- tyrannusperson who rules or governs
- dominātrīxa female person who rules or governs
- tyrannaa female person who rules or governs
Latvian lineāls, valdnieks
- lineālsmeasuring or drawing device
- valdnieksperson who rules or governs
- valdniecea female person who rules or governs
Lithuanian liniuõtė, valdõvas
- liniuõtėmeasuring or drawing device
- valdõvasperson who rules or governs
- valdõvėa female person who rules or governs
Malay pembaris, penguasa
- pembarismeasuring or drawing device
- penguasaperson who rules or governs
- pemerintahperson who rules or governs
Norwegian Bokmål linjal, hersker
- linjalmeasuring or drawing device
- herskerperson who rules or governs
- makthaverperson who rules or governs
Persian فرمانروا
- فرمانروا (farmānravā)person who rules or governs
Polish linijka, władca
- linijkameasuring or drawing device
- władcaperson who rules or governs
- włodarzperson who rules or governs
- władczynia female person who rules or governs
Portuguese régua, governante
- réguameasuring or drawing device
- governanteperson who rules or governs
Romanian riglă, linie
- riglămeasuring or drawing device
- liniemeasuring or drawing device
- guvernantperson who rules or governs
- domnitorperson who rules or governs
Russian лине́йка, прави́тель
- лине́йка (linéjka)measuring or drawing device
- прави́тель (pravítelʹ)person who rules or governs
- властели́н (vlastelín)person who rules or governs
- власти́тель (vlastítelʹ)person who rules or governs
- госуда́рь (gosudárʹ)person who rules or governs
- прави́тельница (pravítelʹnica)a female person who rules or governs
- власти́тельница (vlastítelʹnica)a female person who rules or governs
- госуда́рыня (gosudárynja)a female person who rules or governs
Slovak pravítko, vládca
- pravítkomeasuring or drawing device
- vládcaperson who rules or governs
- vládkyňaa female person who rules or governs
Spanish regla, gobernante
- reglameasuring or drawing device
- gobernanteperson who rules or governs
Swahili rula
- rulameasuring or drawing device
Swedish linjal, härskare
- linjalmeasuring or drawing device
- härskareperson who rules or governs
- ledareperson who rules or governs
- härskarinnaa female person who rules or governs
Tagalog galod, naghahari
- galodmeasuring or drawing device
- naghahariperson who rules or governs
Thai ไม้บรรทัด, ผู้ว่าการ
- ไม้บรรทัด (máai-ban-tát)measuring or drawing device
- ผู้ว่าการ (pûu-am-nuai-gaan)person who rules or governs
Turkish cetvel, hükümdar
- cetvelmeasuring or drawing device
- hükümdarperson who rules or governs
- hükümranperson who rules or governs
Ukrainian ліні́йка, прави́тель
- ліні́йка (liníjka)measuring or drawing device
- прави́тель (pravýtelʹ)person who rules or governs
- волода́р (volodár)person who rules or governs
- прави́телька (pravýtelʹka)a female person who rules or governs
Urdu مِسْطَر, رُولَر
- مِسْطَر (mistar)measuring or drawing device
- رُولَر (rūlar)measuring or drawing device
- پَیمانَہ (paimāna)measuring or drawing device
- حاکِم (hākim)person who rules or governs
- حُکْمَران (hukmarān)person who rules or governs
- والی (vālī)person who rules or governs
Vietnamese thước kẻ, thước
- thước kẻmeasuring or drawing device
- thướcmeasuring or drawing device
- người thống trịperson who rules or governs
Welsh pren mesur, llinellydd
- pren mesurmeasuring or drawing device
- llinellyddmeasuring or drawing device
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ruler
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
ruler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruler
MLA
“ruler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruler. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ruler,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ruler.
Source: ruler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.