# standard

Pronunciation: US say "STAN-durd" /ˈstændəɹd/; UK say "STAN-duhd" /ˈstændəd/

## Noun

1. Something used as a measure when comparing or judging other things; a model.
   - Simple: A thing you compare others against to judge how good they are.
   - _Critics treated the first film as the standard against which every sequel was judged._
   - _The agency set a clear standard for evaluating the competing proposals._
3. A rule or set of requirements that is widely agreed upon or imposed by a government.
   - Simple: A rule that many people agree on, or that the government makes everyone follow.
   - _New emissions standards take effect across the country next year._
   - _The committee approved a single standard for medical record-keeping._
4. A particular level of quality or achievement that something reaches or is measured against.
   - Simple: How good something is, or how good it needs to be.
   - _The restaurant maintains an exceptionally high standard in its kitchen._
   - _Engineering students are held to demanding standards throughout the program._
6. A musical piece of long-established popularity, widely performed and recognized.
   - Simple: A well-known song that many musicians play and people still enjoy.
   - _The pianist added another standard to her regular set._
   - _She recorded an album of standards from the 1940s._
9. A vehicle equipped with a manual transmission.
   - Simple: A car you drive by changing the gears yourself.
   - _The rental lot only had a few standards left._
   - _He still drives a standard out of habit._
11. The prestige or standardized form of a language; the variety treated as the norm.
   - Simple: The main, accepted form of a language used in schools and official life.
   - _Over time the dialect drifted further from the standard._
   - _Broadcasters are expected to speak the standard on air._
13. The flag or ensign carried by a military unit as its emblem in the field.
   - Simple: A flag carried by a group of soldiers as their sign.
   - _The bearer kept the standard aloft as the line advanced._
   - _Enemy standards were captured and paraded through the city._
14. A wine bottle of the regular size, holding 0.750 liters of fluid.
   - Simple: A wine bottle of the usual size, holding three-quarters of a liter of wine.
   - _The sommelier suggested a standard instead of the larger format for the small table._
   - _Most retail shelves are stocked with standards rather than half-bottles._
15. An upright pole, post, or member that supports or holds something, such as a lamp, scaffolding planks, or the axis of a surveying instrument.
   - Simple: An upright pole or post that holds something up, like a street lamp or scaffolding.
   - _An ornate cast-iron standard held the streetlight above the square._
   - _The old gas lamps were mounted on decorative standards along the avenue._
16. Short for standard poodle: the largest size of poodle, standing more than about 15 inches at the shoulder. — Ellipsis of standard poodle.
   - Simple: Short for standard poodle: the biggest size of poodle.
   - _The breeder showed two standards alongside a litter of miniatures._
   - _They wanted a large poodle, so they chose a standard instead of a toy._
17. A grade or year level in school, numbered from the first year upward, used especially in India. *(India)*
   - Simple: A grade or year level in primary school, used in some countries' school systems.
   - _He passed the year-end exams and advanced to standard six._
   - _The teacher handles two standards in the same classroom._
18. The established proportion of fine metal to alloy fixed for the coinage of a country.
   - Simple: The fixed mix of pure metal and other metal set by law for making coins.
   - _When the king lowered the standard, his new coins held far less silver than the old ones._
   - _Debasing the standard let rulers stretch their silver further._
21. A tree grown to its natural size on its own stem, neither dwarfed by grafting onto smaller stock nor trained upon a wall or trellis.
   - Simple: A full-size tree that grows on its own stem, not made small by grafting or trained against a wall.
   - _Traditional orchards were planted with standards spaced widely apart._
   - _A mature standard can be harvested only with tall ladders._

## Adjective

2. Falling within an accepted, ordinary range of size, amount, power, or quality.
   - Simple: Of a normal size or type, not special or different.
   - _These bolts are cut to a standard length._
   - _Most laptops ship with a standard amount of memory._
5. Provided as a normal part of something, rather than as an optional extra.
   - Simple: Included as a normal part, not something extra you pay for.
   - _Leather seats are standard on the top trim level._
   - _The warranty is standard and requires no additional fee._
7. Recognized as having excellence or authority; treated as definitive in its field.
   - Simple: Seen by almost everyone as the best and most trusted.
   - _The biography is now the standard account of the president's life._
   - _His textbook remained the standard reference for decades._
8. Having a manual transmission rather than an automatic one.
   - Simple: Having gears that the driver changes by hand, not automatic.
   - _She prefers a standard car for better control on hills._
   - _The rental turned out to be standard, which surprised the driver._
10. Of a grade or quality good enough to be usable or serviceable.
   - Simple: Good enough to use, but not the very best.
   - _The boards were only standard grade, rough but solid enough for a backyard fence._
   - _The repair work was standard, good enough to pass inspection but far from perfect._
12. Conforming to the accepted, prestige variety of a language regarded as correct or normative.
   - Simple: Following the form of a language that schools and books treat as correct.
   - _News anchors are usually trained to use standard pronunciation._
   - _The novel mixes regional dialect with standard spelling._
20. Of a plant, growing alone as a free-standing specimen rather than trained along a post, wall, or trellis.
   - Simple: Growing on its own as a free-standing plant, not tied to a post or wall.
   - _The nursery sells standard fuchsias grown on a single tall stem._
   - _A standard gooseberry bush fruits well once its head fills out._

## Interjection

19. Said in reply to show that you agree, or that something is exactly as expected. *(slang, UK)*
   - Simple: Used to say you agree with someone or that something is just as expected.
   - _Fancy a pint after work? Standard._
   - _"The bus broke down again?" "Standard. It happens every week."_

## Other meanings

- (noun) A sturdy woody plant whose upright stem serves as the stock onto which a less hardy ornamental flowering plant is grafted.
- (noun) The upper, often enlarged petal of a pea-family flower, set above the wing and keel petals.
- (noun) A unit of measure for sawn timber, used in the lumber trade.
- (noun) A large vessel or goblet used for drinking.
- (noun) A collar of mail worn to protect the neck and throat in armor.
- (noun) An inverted knee timber set upon a ship's deck rather than beneath it, with its vertical arm rising from the part that lies flat.
- (noun) A cairn or burial mound, especially a heap of stones raised as a marker or monument.
- (noun) The upright part of a plow that joins the share to the beam.
- (noun) A hill crowned by a heap of stones or an ancient burial mound, found mainly in northern English and Scottish place names.

## Origin

Frankish *standahard, literally "stand firm, stand hard" (stand + -ard), became Old French estandart ("gathering place, battle flag") and then Middle English standard. Another view links the second part to a Frankish word for "point" or "place." The word later merged with Middle English standar or stander, meaning "flag" or literally "stander."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/standard (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).