a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior
双语例句
I never weigh anything when I'm cooking-I just do it by rule of thumb. 我烹饪从来不称重量——只是凭经验下料。
I never weigh anything when I'm cooking.I just do it by rule of thumb. 我做饭时从来什么也不称量，只是根据实际经验估量做。
As a rule of thumb, a one-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax raises$1 billion. Oil producers in President-elect Bush's adopted state of Texas, however, would rather see a tax on imported crude oil. 一般情形是，每加仑加汽油一分钱的税可以征收10亿元。可是，在布什第二家乡德克萨斯州的产油商宁愿看见在进口原油上征税。
As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound that it weighs. 凭经验估计，每磅鸡肉应烹调20分钟。
