stand

[stand] /stænd/
verb (used without object), stood, standing.
1.
(of a person) to be in an upright position on the feet.
2.
to rise to one's feet (often followed by up).
3.
to have a specified height when in this position:
a basketball player who stands six feet seven inches.
4.
to stop or remain motionless or steady on the feet.
5.
to take a position or place as indicated:
to stand aside.
6.
to remain firm or steadfast, as in a cause.
7.
to take up or maintain a position or attitude with respect to a person, issue, or the like:
to stand as sponsor for a person.
8.
to have or adopt a certain policy, course, or attitude, as of adherence, support, opposition, or resistance:
He stands for free trade.
9.
(of things) to be in an upright or vertical position, be set on end, or rest on or as on a support.
10.
to be set, placed, fixed, located, or situated:
The building stands at 34th Street and 5th Avenue.
11.
(of an account, score, etc.) to show, be, or remain as indicated; show the specified position of the parties concerned:
The score stood 18 to 14 at the half.
12.
to remain erect or whole; resist change, decay, or destruction (often followed by up):
The ruins still stand. The old building stood up well.
13.
to continue in force or remain valid:
The agreement stands as signed.
14.
to remain still, stationary, or unused:
The bicycle stood in the basement all winter.
15.
to be or become stagnant, as water.
16.
(of persons or things) to be or remain in a specified state, condition, relation, relative position, etc.:
He stood in jeopardy of losing his license.
17.
to have the possibility or likelihood:
He stands to gain a sizable profit through the sale of the house.
18.
Chiefly British. to become or be a candidate, as for public office (usually followed by for).
19.
Nautical.
  1. to take or hold a particular course at sea.
  2. to move in a certain direction:
    to stand offshore.
20.
(of a male domestic animal, especially a stud) to be available as a sire, usually for a fee:
Three Derby winners are now standing in Kentucky.
verb (used with object), stood, standing.
21.
to cause to stand; set upright; set:
Stand the chair by the lamp.
22.
to face or encounter:
to stand an assault.
23.
to undergo or submit to:
to stand trial.
24.
to endure or undergo without harm or damage or without giving way:
His eyes are strong enough to stand the glare.
25.
to endure or tolerate:
She can't stand her father.
26.
to treat or pay for:
I'll stand you to a drink when the manuscript is in.
27.
to perform the duty of or participate in as part of one's job or duty:
to stand watch aboard ship.
noun, plural stands for 28–49, stands or, esp. after a numeral, stand for 50.
28.
the act of standing; an assuming of or a remaining in an upright position.
29.
a cessation of motion; halt or stop.
30.
a determined effort for or against something, especially a final defensive effort:
Custer's last stand.
31.
a determined policy, position, attitude, etc., taken or maintained:
We must take a stand on political issues.
32.
the place in which a person or thing stands; station.
33.
witness stand.
34.
a raised platform, as for a speaker, a band, or the like.
35.
stands, a raised section of seats for spectators; grandstand.
36.
a framework on or in which articles are placed for support, exhibition, etc.:
a hat stand.
37.
a piece of furniture of various forms, on or in which to put articles (often used in combination):
a nightstand; a washstand.
38.
a small, light table.
39.
a stall, booth, counter, or the like, where articles are displayed for sale or where some business is carried on:
a fruit stand.
40.
newsstand:
The papers usually hit the stands at 5 a.m.
41.
a site or location for business:
After 20 years the ice-cream vendor was still at the same stand.
42.
a place or station occupied by vehicles available for hire:
a taxicab stand.
43.
the vehicles occupying such a place.
44.
the growing trees, or those of a particular species or grade, in a given area.
45.
a standing growth, as of grass, wheat, etc.
46.
a halt of a theatrical company on tour, to give a performance or performances:
a series of one-night stands on the strawhat trail.
47.
the town at which a touring theatrical company gives a performance.
48.
hive (def 2).
49.
Metalworking. a rolling unit in a rolling mill.
50.
Chiefly British. a complete set of arms or accoutrements for one soldier.
Verb phrases
51.
stand by,
  1. to uphold; support:
    She stood by him whenever he was in trouble.
  2. to adhere to (an agreement, promise, etc.); affirm:
    She stood by her decision despite her sister's arguments.
  3. to stand ready; wait:
    Please stand by while I fix this antenna.
  4. to get ready to speak, act, etc., as at the beginning of a radio or television program.
  5. to be ready to board a plane, train, or other transport if accommodations become available at the last minute.
52.
stand down,
  1. Law. to leave the witness stand.
  2. to step aside; withdraw, as from a competition:
    I agreed to stand down so that she could run for the nomination unopposed.
  3. to leave or take out of active work or service:
    to stand down some of the ships in the fleet.
53.
stand for,
  1. to represent; symbolize: P.S. stands for “postscript.”.
  2. to advocate; favor:
    He stands for both freedom and justice.
  3. Informal. to tolerate; allow:
    I won't stand for any nonsense!
54.
stand in with,
  1. to be in association or conspiracy with.
  2. to enjoy the favor of; be on friendly terms with.
55.
stand off,
  1. to keep or stay at a distance.
  2. to put off; evade.
56.
stand on,
  1. to depend on; rest on:
    The case stands on his testimony.
  2. to be particular about; demand:
    to stand on ceremony.
  3. Nautical. to maintain a course and speed.
57.
stand out,
  1. to project; protrude:
    The piers stand out from the harbor wall.
  2. to be conspicuous or prominent:
    She stands out in a crowd.
  3. to persist in opposition or resistance; be inflexible.
  4. Nautical. to maintain a course away from shore.
58.
stand over,
  1. to supervise very closely; watch constantly:
    He won't work unless someone stands over him.
  2. to put aside temporarily; postpone:
    to let a project stand over until the following year.
59.
stand to,
  1. to continue to hold; persist in:
    to stand to one's statement.
  2. to keep at steadily:
    Stand to your rowing, men!
  3. to wait in readiness; stand by:
    Stand to for action.
60.
stand up,
  1. to come to or remain in a standing position:
    to stand up when being introduced.
  2. to remain strong, convincing, or durable:
    The case will never stand up in court. Wool stands up better than silk.
  3. Slang. to fail to keep an appointment with (someone, especially a sweetheart or date):
    I waited for Kim for an hour before I realized I'd been stood up.
61.
stand up for,
  1. to defend the cause of; support:
    No one could understand why he stood up for an incorrigible criminal.
  2. to serve a bridegroom or bride, as best man or maid (matron) of honor.
62.
stand up to, to meet or deal with fearlessly; confront:
to stand up to a bully.
Idioms
63.
stand a chance / show, to have a chance or possibility, especially of winning or surviving:
He's a good shortstop but doesn't stand a chance of making the major leagues because he can't hit.
64.
stand pat. pat2 (def 6).
65.
stand to reason. reason (def 18).
66.
take the stand, to testify in a courtroom.
Origin
before 900; Middle English standen (v.), Old English standan; cognate with Old Saxon standan, Middle Dutch standen, Old High German stantan, standa, standan; akin to Latin stāre to stand, sistere, Greek histánai to make stand, Sanskrit sthā to stand, Old Irish at-tá (he) is
Synonyms
25. abide, stomach. See bear1 .
British Dictionary definitions for stand a chance

stand

/stænd/
verb (mainly intransitive) stands, standing, stood
1.
(also transitive) 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 transitive; when intr, foll by for) to tolerate or bear: I won't stand for your nonsense any longer, I can't stand spiders
13.
(transitive) to resist; survive: to stand the test of time
14.
(transitive) to submit to: to stand trial
15.
(often foll by for) (mainly Brit) 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 transitive) (printing) to keep (type that has been set) or (of such type) to be kept, for possible use in future printings
21.
(transitive) (informal) to bear the cost of; pay for: to stand someone a drink
22.
stand a chance, to have a hope or likelihood of winning, succeeding, etc
23.
stand fast, to maintain one's position firmly
24.
stand one's ground, to maintain a stance or position in the face of opposition
25.
stand still
  1. to remain motionless
  2. (foll by for) (US) to tolerate: I won't stand still for your threats
26.
(Irish, informal) stand to someone, to be useful to someone: your knowledge of English will stand to you
noun
27.
the act or an instance of standing
28.
an opinion, esp a resolutely held one: he took a stand on capital punishment
29.
a halt or standstill
30.
a place where a person or thing stands
31.
(Austral & NZ)
  1. a position on the floor of a shearing shed allocated to one shearer
  2. the shearing equipment belonging to such a position
32.
a structure, usually of wood, on which people can sit or stand
33.
a frame or rack on which such articles as coats and hats may be hung
34.
a small table or piece of furniture where articles may be placed or stored: a music stand
35.
a supporting framework, esp for a tool or instrument
36.
a stall, booth, or counter from which goods may be sold
37.
an exhibition area in a trade fair
38.
a halt to give action, etc, esp one taken during a retreat and having some duration or some success
39.
(cricket) an extended period at the wicket by two batsmen
40.
a growth of plants in a particular area, esp trees in a forest or a crop in a field
41.
a stop made by a touring theatrical company, pop group, etc, to give a performance (esp in the phrase one-night stand)
42.
(South African) a plot or site earmarked for the erection of a building
43.
(of a gun dog) the act of pointing at game
44.
a complete set, esp of arms or armour for one man
45.
(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
Derived Forms
stander, noun
Word Origin
Old English standan; related to Old Norse standa, Old High German stantan, Latin stāre to stand; see stead
Word Origin and History for stand a chance

stand

v.

Old English standan (class VI strong verb; past tense stod, past participle standen), from Proto-Germanic *sta-n-d- (cf. Old Norse standa, Old Saxon and Gothic standan, Old High German stantan, Swedish stå, Dutch staan, German stehen), from PIE root *sta- "to stand" (see stet).

Sense of "to exist, be present" is attested from c.1300. Meaning "to pay for as a treat" is from 1821. Phrase stands to reason (1620) is from earlier stands (is constant) with reason. Phrase stand pat is originally from poker (1882); stand down in the military sense of "go off duty" is first recorded 1916. Standing ovation attested by 1968; standing army is from c.1600.

n.

"pause, delay," Old English, from the root of stand (v.). Meaning "place of standing, position" is from c.1300; figurative sense is from 1590s. Sense of "action of standing or coming to a position" is attested from late 14c., especially in reference to fighting. Meaning "raised platform for a hunter or sportsman" is attested from c.1400.

Sense of "stall or booth" is first recorded c.1500. Military meaning "complete set" (of arms, colors, etc.) is from 1721, often a collective singular. Sense of "standing growth of trees" is 1868, American English. Theatrical sense of "each stop made on a performance tour" is from 1896. The word was formerly also slang for "an erection" (1867).

Slang definitions & phrases for stand a chance

stand

noun

A shop or store; a place of business: You can get it at the Brooks Brothers stand on Fifth Avenue (1787+)

verb
  1. To give or pay for as a treat: She stood him tea and muffins (1821+)
  2. To cost; SET someone BACK: The suit I got on stood me ten cents (1362+)
Related Terms

one-night stand


Idioms and Phrases with stand a chance

stand a chance

Have a possibility or a hope of success, as in Do you think Mary stands a chance of finishing the marathon ? or I think we stand a fair chance of seeing the Queen arrive at Buckingham Palace . This idiom was first recorded in 1796. Also see not have an earthly chance

stand

also see: