stand

The act of standing.

Noun

  1. The act of standing.
    • I took my stand upon an eminence […] to look into their several ladings. - October 2, 1712, Joseph Addison, The Spectator No. 499
  2. A defensive position or effort.
    • The Commander says we will make our stand here.
  3. A resolute, unwavering position; firm opinion; action for a purpose in the face of opposition.
    • They took a firm stand against copyright infringement.
    • There are also a growing number of lesbians in prison who are out about being lesbian and that stand in and of itself is much stronger than being out on the outside. These women are in much greater danger. - 1991...
  4. A period of performance in a given location or venue.
    • They have a four-game stand at home against the Yankees.
    • They spent the summer touring giving 4 one-night stands a week.
  5. A device to hold something upright or aloft.
    • He set the music upon the stand and began to play. an umbrella stand; a hat-stand
    • There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls. - 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes,...
    • Whilst I nipped out to get the booze Eddie would ease the large bread stand at the far end of the shop out from the counter so as to leave a gap behind, big enouh to take the basket. I would streak into the shop like a...
  6. The platform on which a witness testifies in court; the witness stand or witness box.
    • She took the stand and quietly answered questions.
    • Shortly after Ellison started at Alameda around fall 2018 as a trader, she learned that the company was financially far sicker than she had known, she said on the stand. - 2023 October 11, Victoria Bekiempis,...
  7. An area of raised seating for waiters at the stock exchange.
    • When a member has failed to comply with his bargains the fact is announced from one of the stands, […] - 1923, Julius E. Day, The Stockbroker's Office: Organisation, Management and Accounts, page 99:
    • Just as that clock is striking now, the two waiters appear on the stands and take off their hats, as if to a corpse. - 1934, Frances Cosgrove, Scenes for Student Actors: Dramatic Selections from New Plays, page 8:
  8. A particular grove or other group of trees or shrubs.
    • This stand of pines is older than the one next to it.
    • Pernambuco is a coastal wood which grows in maintained stands in Brazil. - 2000, James Beament, The Violin Explained: Components, Mechanism, and Sound, page 159:
  9. A contiguous group of trees sufficiently uniform in age-class distribution, composition, and structure, and growing on a site of sufficiently uniform quality, to be a distinguishable unit.
  10. A standstill, a motionless state, as of someone confused, or a hunting dog who has found game.
    • One of the later school of the Grecians, examineth the matter, and is at a stand, to think what should be in it, that men should love lies; where neither they make for pleasure, as with poets, nor for advantage, as with...
    • Antonia's patience now was at a stand— "Come, come, 't is no time now for fooling there," She whispered[…] - 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, I.168:
  11. A small building, booth, or stage, as in a bandstand or hamburger stand.
  12. A designated spot where someone or something may stand or wait.
    • a taxi stand

Origin

From Middle English stonden, standen (verb) and stand, stond (noun, from the verb), from Old English standan (“to stand, occupy a place”), from Proto-West Germanic *standan, from Proto-Germanic *standaną (“to stand”), from Pre-Germanic *sth₂-n-t-´, an innovative extended n-infixed form of Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-. Cognates Cognate with Scots staund (“to stand”), Yola sthoan, sthoane, sthone, stoane (“to stand”), North Frisian staan, stoune, stuine, stun, stönje, stööne (“to stand”), Saterland Frisian stounde (“to stand”), Danish stande (“to stand”), Faroese and Icelandic standa (“to stand”), Norwegian Nynorsk standa, stå (“to stand”), Swedish stånda (“to stand”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (standan, “to stand”). From the related Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): West Frisian stean (“to stand”), Alemannic German staa (“to stand”), Central Franconian stiehn, stohn, stonn (“to stand”), Cimbrian...

Forms

stands

Related

stance stanza

Derived

armstand ash stand at a stand axle stand bandstand bedstand bicycle stand bike stand blow this Popsicle stand blow this pop stand blow this taco stand bookstand bus stand cabstand cakestand candlestand card stand checkstand chopstick stand clamp stand clothes stand coachstand coat stand coatstand

Noun Scotland, US

  1. A container which stands upright, such as a barrel or cask.
    • Item, for a ſtande of small ale - ii s. - 1559, The Progresses and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth. Among Which are Interspersed, Other Solemnities, Public Expenditures, and Remarkable Events, During the Reign of...
    • […]one gialfatte, 3 stannes 3s.,[…] - 1582, Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641, Being the Farming and Account Books of Henry Best, of Elmswell, in the East Riding of the County of York (The Publications of the Surtees...
    • Therefore at length sir Iefferie bethought him of a feat whereby he might both visit the alestond, and also keepe his othe. - 1588, Martin Mar-prelate, An Epistle to the Terrible Priests of the Convocation House,...
  2. A weight of from two hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds, used in weighing pitch.

Origin

From Middle English stand, stande, stond, stonde, stoonde, probably from Middle Dutch stande, from Old Dutch *standan (“to stand”), from Frankish *standan. Forms with -o- may show influence of stonden (“stand”, verb).

Forms

stands

Verb

  1. To position or be positioned physically:
    • Here I stand, wondering what to do next.
    • I can't reach the celing. Get me a chair to stand on.
    • Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her. - 1897 December...

    1. (intransitive, copulative) To support oneself on the feet in an erect position.

    2. (intransitive) To rise to one’s feet; to stand up.

      • Stand up, walk to the refrigerator, and get your own snack.

    3. (intransitive, copulative) To remain motionless.

      • Do not leave your car standing in the road.
      • The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 2:9:
      • The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking. - 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIII,...

    4. (intransitive) To be placed in an upright or vertical orientation.

      • They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come...
      • He seized the gun which always stood in a corner of his bedroom […] - 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker...

    5. (transitive) To place in an upright or standing position.

      • He stood the broom in a corner and took a break.
      • At one time a "standard test" for carriage riding was to stand a pencil on end on the compartment floor, or to measure how long it was possible to stand on one leg without touching the corridor walls; [...]. - 1961...

    6. (intransitive) To occupy or hold a place; to be set, placed, fixed, located, or situated.

      • Paris stands on the Seine.
      • The chapel ſtands on the South ſide of the ſquare, near the governor’s houſe. - 1774, Edward Long, The History of Jamaica. Or, General Survey of the Antient and Modern State of that Island, volume 2, book 2, chapter 7,...
      • Las Vegas police say the number of people injured now stands at 515. - 2017 October 2, "Las Vegas shooting: At least 58 dead at Mandalay Bay Hotel", in bbc.com, BBC

    7. (intransitive) To measure when erect on the feet.

      • His face, as I grant, in spite of spite / Has a broad-blown comeliness, red and white, / And six feet two, as I think, he stands; […] - 1855, Alfred Tennyson, “Maud”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […],...
      • She must stand five feet five—possibly six. At that, with the tread she has, she will take a 4½ to 5. - 1927, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados Mysteries:

    8. (intransitive, of tears, sweat, etc.) To be present, to have welled up.

      • many an orphan’s water-standing eye - c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:...
      • now my heart beginneth to melt within me being wounded (with that the tears stood in his eyes) to see the faces of some here present, whom J most earnestly love, and now must depart from with shame […] - 1651, Francis...
      • [He] pull’d me up again, and then giving me tvvo or three Kiſſes again, thank’d me for my kind yielding to him; and vvas ſo overcome with the Satisfaction and Joy of it, that I savv Tears ſtand in his Eyes. - 1722...
  2. To position or be positioned mentally:
    • He stands to get a good price for the house.

    1. (intransitive, followed by to + infinitive) To be positioned to gain or lose.

    2. (transitive, chiefly in the negative) To tolerate.

      • I can’t stand when people don’t read the instructions.
      • I can’t stand him.
      • [I]f you call my duds a ‘livery’ again there'll be trouble. It's bad enough to go around togged out like a life saver on a drill day, but I can stand that 'cause I'm paid for it. What I won't stand is to have them togs...

    3. (intransitive, copulative) To maintain one's ground; to be acquitted; not to fail or yield; to be safe.

      • [R]eaders by whose judgment I would stand or fall […] - 1712 February 12 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “FRIDAY, February 2, 1711–1712”, in The Spectator, number 291; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor,...

    4. (intransitive, copulative) To maintain an invincible or permanent attitude; to be fixed, steady, or firm; to take a position in resistance or opposition.

      • The king granted the Jews[…]to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Esther 8:11:
      • the standing pattern of their imitation - 1660 August 7 (Gregorian calendar), Robert South, “(please specify the sermon number)[Sermon preached at St. Mary’s Church in Oxon]”, in Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions....
      • "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." - 2019 February 19, Doug Criss, “Here’s why...

    5. (intransitive, copulative, obsolete) To be in some particular state; to have essence or being; to be; to consist.

      • sacrifices[…]which stood only in meats and drinks - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 9:10:
      • Accomplish what your signs foreshow; / I stand resigned, and am prepared to go. - 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and...
      • Thou seest how it stands with me[…], and that I may not tarry. - 1826, [Walter Scott], Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald...
  3. To position or be positioned socially:

    1. (intransitive, cricket) To act as an umpire.

    2. (transitive) To undergo; withstand; hold up.

      • The works of Shakespeare have stood the test of time.
      • Love stood the siege. - 1700, [John] Dryden, “Theodore and Honoria, from Boccace”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      • Bid him disband his legions,[…]/ And stand the judgment of a Roman senate. - 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

    3. (intransitive, UK) To be a candidate (in an election).

      • He is standing for election to the local council.
      • He stood to be elected one of the proctors of the university. - 1678, Izaak Walton, The Life of Robert Sanderson:

    4. (intransitive) To remain valid.

      • What I said yesterday still stands.

    5. (transitive) To oppose, usually as a team, in competition.

      • "Kim, Jack, and I will stand you guys," Jimmie Burdette said. / "We'll smear you!" laughed Ron. - 1957, Matt Christopher, chapter 7, in Basketball Sparkplug:
      • The game stopped while sides were sorted out. Andy did the sorting. "Okay," he said. "Jimmy is coming out. He and Gaston and Ike and me will stand you guys." - c. 1973, R. J. Childerhose, Hockey Fever in Goganne Falls,...
      • "Hey, Louis," Dameon shouted. "Do you want to play kickball?" ¶ ""All right," said Louis. "Ron and I will both play." […] "Ron and I will stand everybody!" Louis announced. - 1978, Louis Sachar, chapter 21, in Sideways...

    6. (transitive) To cover the expense of; to pay for.

      • to stand a round of drinks
      • to stand a treat
      • to stand bail (security in respect of an arrested person)

    7. (intransitive) To have or maintain a position, order, or rank; to be in a particular relation.

      • Christian charity, or love, stands first in the rank of gifts.
      • President Obama gave his first extended television interview since the protests in Libya and Egypt to Telemundo on Wednesday night, and he took the opportunity to explain the U.S.'s role in the developing world while...

    8. (intransitive) To be consistent; to agree; to accord.

      • Doubt me not, by Heauen, I vvill doe nothing / But vvhat may ſtand vvith honour: […] - c. 1619 (date written), P[hilip] M[assinger], N[athan] F[ield], The Fatall Dowry: A Tragedy. […], London: […] Iohn Norton, for...

    9. (intransitive) To appear in court.

  4. Of a ship or its captain, to steer, sail (in a specified direction, for a specified destination etc.).
    • To repaire his defects, hee stood for the coast of Calabria, but hearing there was six or seven Galleyes at Mesina hee departed thence for Malta[…]. - 1630, John Smith, True Travels, Kupperman, published 1988, page 40:
  5. To remain without ruin or injury.
    • My mind on its own centre stands unmov'd. - 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy:
    • The ruin'd wall / Stands when its wind-worn battlements are gone. - 1816, Lord Byron, “Canto III”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Canto the Third, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXII:
  6. To stop asking for more cards; to keep one's hand as it has been dealt so far.

Forms

stands standing stood standen stand no-table-tags glossary standest stoodst stoodest standeth - stooden

Derived

againstand a house divided against itself cannot stand a leg to stand on all standing astand atstand behind every successful man there stands a woman bestand can't stand dwarf standing on the shoulders of giants forstand gainstand I stand corrected make someone's hair stand on end not have a leg to stand on offstand outstand overstand restand standability stand a chance standage stand-alone standalone