English Dictionary

Definition of “standing”

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standing (ˈstændɪŋPronunciation for standing) 

Definitions

noun

  1. social or financial position, status, or reputation  ⇒ a man of some standing 
  2. length of existence, experience, etc
  3. (modifier) used to stand in or on  ⇒ standing room 

adjective

  1. athletics 
    1. (of the start of a race) begun from a standing position without the use of starting blocks
    2. (of a jump, leap, etc) performed from a stationary position without a run-up
  2. (prenominal) permanent, fixed, or lasting
  3. (prenominal) still or stagnant  ⇒ a standing pond 
  4. printing (of type) set and stored for future use Compare dead (sense 17)

stand (stændPronunciation for stand) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: stands, standing, stood
(mainly intr)
  1. (also tr) to be or cause to be in an erect or upright position
  2. to rise to, assume, or maintain an upright position
  3. (copula) to have a specified height when standing  ⇒ to stand six feet 
  4. to be situated or located  ⇒ the house stands in the square 
  5. to be or exist in a specified state or condition  ⇒ to stand in awe of someone 
  6. to adopt or remain in a resolute position or attitude
  7. (may take an infinitive) to be in a specified position  ⇒ I stand to lose money in this venture he stands high in the president's favour 
  8. to remain in force or continue in effect  ⇒ whatever the difficulties, my orders stand 
  9. to come to a stop or halt, esp temporarily
  10. (of water, etc) to collect and remain without flowing
  11. (often foll by at) (of a score, account, etc) to indicate the specified position of the parties involved  ⇒ the score stands at 20 to 1 
  12. (also tr; when intr, foll by for) to tolerate or bear  ⇒ I won't stand for your nonsense any longer I can't stand spiders 
  13. (tr) to resist; survive  ⇒ to stand the test of time 
  14. (tr) to submit to  ⇒ to stand trial 
  15. (often foll by for) mainly British to be or become a candidate  ⇒ will he stand for Parliament? 
  16. to navigate in a specified direction  ⇒ we were standing for Madeira when the storm broke 
  17. (of a gun dog) to point at game
  18. to halt, esp to give action, repel attack, or disrupt an enemy advance when retreating
  19. (of a male domestic animal, esp a stallion) to be available as a stud
  20. (also tr) printing to keep (type that has been set) or (of such type) to be kept, for possible use in future printings
  21. (tr) informal to bear the cost of; pay for  ⇒ to stand someone a drink 
  22. See stand a chance
  23. See stand fast
  24. See stand one's ground
  25. See stand still
  26. See stand to someone

noun

  1. the act or an instance of standing
  2. an opinion, esp a resolutely held one  ⇒ he took a stand on capital punishment 
  3. a halt or standstill
  4. a place where a person or thing stands
  5. Australian New Zealand 
    1. a position on the floor of a shearing shed allocated to one shearer
    2. the shearing equipment belonging to such a position
  6. a structure, usually of wood, on which people can sit or stand
  7. a frame or rack on which such articles as coats and hats may be hung
  8. a small table or piece of furniture where articles may be placed or stored  ⇒ a music stand 
  9. a supporting framework, esp for a tool or instrument
  10. a stall, booth, or counter from which goods may be sold
  11. an exhibition area in a trade fair
  12. a halt to give action, etc, esp one taken during a retreat and having some duration or some success
  13. cricket an extended period at the wicket by two batsmen
  14. a growth of plants in a particular area, esp trees in a forest or a crop in a field
  15. a stop made by a touring theatrical company, pop group, etc, to give a performance (esp in the phrase one-night stand)
  16. South Africa a plot or site earmarked for the erection of a building
  17. (of a gun dog) the act of pointing at game
  18. a complete set, esp of arms or armour for one man
  19. military the flags of a regiment

See also

stand by , stand down , stand for , stand in , standoff , stand on , stand out , stand over , stand pat , stand to , stand up

Alternative Forms

ˈstander noun

Word Origin

Old English standan ; related to Old Norse standa , Old High German stantan , Latin stāre to stand; see stead

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= be upright be erect be vertical be on your feet
= get to your feet rise, stand up, straighten up, pick yourself up find your feet
= be located be, sit, be found perch, nestle, be positioned be sited be perched be situated or located
= be valid apply, be in force hold good continue, stay, exist, prevail, remain valid remain effective remain in operation
= put, place, position, set, mount, lean, prop,
= sit, rest, mellow, maturate,
= resist, endure, withstand, wear, weather, undergo, defy, tolerate, stand up to, hold out against stand firm against
= tolerate, bear, abide, suffer, stomach, endure, brook, hack, submit to thole,
= take, bear, handle, cope with experience, sustain, endure, undergo, put up with, withstand, countenance,
= position, attitude, stance, opinion, determination, standpoint, firm stand
= stall, booth, kiosk, table,
= grandstand,
= support, base, platform, place, stage, frame, rack, bracket, tripod, dais, trivet,
= rank, station, bay, place, park,
= stop, stay, rest, halt, standstill, stopover,

Usage examples

  • It exploded in a burst of shattered gems, sending the few Defenders left standing diving for cover.
    Jennifer Fallon, TREASON KEEP (2001)
  • The next morning, the blonde goes back to the park, where she sees the boy standing behind the oak tree.
    Maxim (2004)
  • Mr Teahon's resignation came a week after he said he would not be standing down.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • There we spend reflective moments thinking of those who lost their lives while standing above their grave.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • Whole streets and buildings were reduced to rubble, while others remained standing but were boarded up and abandoned.
    Peter FitzSimons, NANCY WAKE (2002)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'S'

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