‖ norma
(ˈnɔːmə)
Also pl. normae (ˈnɔːmiː).
[L. norma, carpenter's or mason's square; hence, pattern, rule, etc. So in Sp., Pg., and It.]
1. = norm n.
| a 1676 Hale Prim. Orig. Man. (1677) 344 Again, will they suppose it a Norma, Rule, or Law of a most excellent frame and order. 1830 M. Donovan Dom. Econ. I. 211 He is cautious, and never willingly varies from that norma which he has once found successful. 1842 Grove Corr. Phys. Forces (1874) p. xiv, We can only understand the normæ of their action. 1881 Bridgett Holy Eucharist I. 47 A norma or standard to which discipline should be reformed. |
2. One of the southern constellations.
| 1840 Penny Cycl. XVI. 274/2 Norma, the Rule, a constellation of Lacaille, situated between Scorpio and Lupus. |