WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Stand"ard
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [OF. estendart, F. ?tendard, probably fr. L. extendere to spread out, extend, but influenced by E. stand. See Extend.]
Definition : 1. A flag; colors; a banner; especially, a national or other ensign. His armies, in the following day, On those fair plains their standards proud display. Fairfax.

2. That which is established by authority as a rule for the measure of quantity, extent, value, or quality; esp., the original specimen weight or measure sanctioned by government, as the standard pound, gallon, or yard.

3. That which is established as a rule or model by authority, custom, or general consent; criterion; test. The court, which used to be the standard of property and correctness of speech. Swift. A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman. Burke.

4. (Coinage)

Defn: The proportion of weights of fine metal and alloy established by authority. By the present standard of the coinage, sixty-two shillings is coined out of one pound weight of silver. Arbuthnot.

5. (Hort.)

Defn: A tree of natural size supported by its own stem, and not dwarfed by grafting on the stock of a smaller species nor trained upon a wall or trellis. In France part of their gardens is laid out for flowers, others for fruits; some standards, some against walls. Sir W. Temple.

6. (Bot.)

Defn: The upper petal or banner of a papilionaceous corolla.

7. (Mech. & Carp.)

Defn: An upright support, as one of the poles of a scaffold; any upright in framing.

8. (Shipbuilding)

Defn: An inverted knee timber placed upon the deck instead of beneath it, with its vertical branch turned upward from that which lies horizontally.

9. The sheth of a plow.

10. A large drinking cup. Greene. Standard bearer, an officer of an army, company, or troop, who bears a standard; -- commonly called color sergeantor color bearer; hence, the leader of any organization; as, the standard bearer of a political party.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Stand"ard
Part of Speech : a.
Definition : 1. Being, affording, or according with, a standard for comparison and judgment; as, standard time; standard weights and measures; a standard authority as to nautical terms; standard gold or silver.

2. Hence: Having a recognized and permanent value; as, standard works in history; standard authors.

3. (Hort.) (a) Not supported by, or fastened to, a wall; as, standard fruit trees. (b) Not of the dwarf kind; as, a standard pear tree. Standard candle, Standard gauge. See under Candle, and Gauge. -- Standard solution. (Chem.) See Standardized solution, under Solution.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913