norma

1 of 2

noun (1)

nor·​ma

ˈnȯrmə

plural normae

-rˌmē

1

: rule, model, standard, norm

2

anthropology

a

: a standard position for viewing a part (as the skull)

also : an aspect of a bodily part (as the cranium)

b

: a line or pattern indicating the contour of the cranium

Norma

2 of 2

noun (2)

Nor·​ma ˈnȯr-mə 

astronomy

: a southern constellation that is visible between the constellations of Ara and Lupus and that is represented by the figure of a drafting square

… a second group of Dutch astronomers found a binary star in the constellation Norma flickering at 900 times a second.

—Tulsa World, 5 May 1996

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin, carpenter's square, pattern, rule

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1810, in the meaning defined above

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