standard: Meaning and Definition of

stand•ard

Pronunciation: (stan'durd), [key]
— n.
  1. something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model.
  2. an object that is regarded as the usual or most common size or form of its kind: We stock the deluxe models as well as the standards.
  3. a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment: They tried to establish standards for a new philosophical approach.
  4. an average or normal requirement, quality, quantity, level, grade, etc.: His work this week hasn't been up to his usual standard.
  5. those morals, ethics, habits, etc., established by authority, custom, or an individual as acceptable: He tried to live up to his father's standards.
  6. a grade of beef immediately below good.
  7. the authorized exemplar of a unit of weight or measure.
  8. a certain commodity in or by which a basic monetary unit is stated. Cf.
  9. the legally established content of full-weight coins.
  10. the prescribed degree of fineness for gold or silver.
  11. a class or grade in elementary schools.
  12. a musical piece of sufficiently enduring popularity to be made part of a permanent repertoire, esp. a popular song.
  13. a flag indicating the presence of a sovereign or public official.
  14. a flag, emblematic figure, or other object raised on a pole to indicate the rallying point of an army, fleet, etc.
    1. any of various military or naval flags.
    2. the colors of a mounted unit.
    3. (cap.) a U.S. Navy radar-guided surface-to-air missile with a range of 10–30 miles (16–48 km).
  15. a long, tapering flag or ensign, as of a monarch or a nation.
  16. something that stands or is placed upright.
  17. a long candlestick or candelabrum used in a church.
  18. an upright support or supporting part.
  19. a standing collar of mail.
  20. a plant trained or grafted to have a single, erect, treelike stem.
  21. a distinct petal, larger than the rest, of certain flowers; a vexillum.
—adj.
  1. serving as a basis of weight, measure, value, comparison, or judgment.
  2. of recognized excellence or established authority: a standard reference on medieval history.
  3. usual, common, or customary: Chairs are standard furniture in American households.
  4. manual; not electric or automatic: standard transmission.
  5. conforming in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc., to the usage of most educated native speakers, esp. those having prestige, and widely considered acceptable or correct:Cf.(def. 2). Standard American English; standard pronunciation.
  6. authorized or approved: The program was broadcast on the standard broadcast band.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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