stand

Etymology 1

From Middle English standen, stonden (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 stand (“to stand”), Saterland Frisian stounde (“to stand”), West Frisian stean (“to stand”), dialectal German standen (“to stand”), Danish stande (“to stand”), Swedish stånda (“to stand”), Norwegian standa (“to stand”), Faroese standa (“to stand”), Icelandic standa (“to stand”), Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (standan), Russian стоя́ть (stojátʹ, “to stand”). Also from *steh₂-: Irish seas, Latin stare, Lithuanian stóti, Old Church Slavonic стояти (stojati), Albanian shtoj (“to increase”), Ancient Greek ἵστημι (hístēmi, “to put”), Avestan 𐬵𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 (hištaⁱti), Sanskrit तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati). From the related Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): West Frisian stean, Dutch staan, German stehen, Danish stå.

verb

1. To position or be positioned physically:
   1. (intransitive, copulative) To support oneself on the feet in an erect position.
      Here I stand, wondering what to do next.
      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 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 93
   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.
   4. (intransitive) To be placed in an upright or vertical orientation.
   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 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 93
   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, 6
      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.
   8. (intransitive, of tears, sweat, etc.) To be present, to have welled up.
      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 Bacon, “Sir Jervas his Confession”, in A True and Historical Relation of the Poysoning of Sir Thomas Overbury, London: John Benson & John Playford, page 71
      How he escaped a broken neck in that dreadful place no human being will ever ken. The sweat, he has told me, stood in cold drops upon his forehead […] 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide
2. To position or be positioned mentally:
   1. (intransitive, followed by to + infinitive) To be positioned to gain or lose.
      He stands to get a good price for the house.
   2. (transitive, chiefly in the negative) To tolerate.
      I can’t stand when people don’t read the instructions.
      I can’t stand him.
   3. (intransitive, copulative) To maintain one's ground; to be acquitted; not to fail or yield; to be safe.
   4. (intransitive, copulative) To maintain an invincible or permanent attitude; to be fixed, steady, or firm; to take a position in resistance or opposition.
      July 29, 1660, Robert South, sermon preached at St. Mary's Church in Oxon the standing pattern of their imitation
   5. (intransitive, copulative, obsolete) To be in some particular state; to have essence or being; to be; to consist.
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.
   3. (intransitive, Britain) 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 be 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, page 95
      "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 Stories from Wayside School
   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.
   8. (intransitive) To be consistent; to agree; to accord.
      Doubt me not; by heaven, I will do nothing / But what may stand with honour. c. 1619, Philip Massinger, Nathan Field, The Fatal Dowry
   9. (intransitive) To appear in court.
4. (intransitive, nautical) 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. (intransitive, copulative) To remain without ruin or injury.
   My mind on its own centre stands unmov'd. 1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy
6. (card games) To stop asking for more cards; to keep one's hand as it has been dealt so far.

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.
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
6. The platform on which a witness testifies in court; the witness stand or witness box.
   She took the stand and quietly answered questions.
7. (historical) 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. (forestry) 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 the merchant; but for the lie’s sake. 1625, Francis Bacon, “Of Truth”, in Essays
    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
13. (US, dated) The situation of a shop, store, hotel, etc.
    a good, bad, or convenient stand for business
14. (US, historical) Short for tavern stand (“a roadside inn”).
15. (sports) Grandstand. (often in the plural)
    The end of the opening period was relatively quite [sic] as Vassiljev's desperate shot from well outside the penalty area flew into the stand housing the Irish supporters and then Ward's ctoss [sic] was gathered by goalkeeper Pareiko. November 11, 2011, Rory Houston, “Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland”, in RTE Sport
16. (cricket) A partnership.
    England wrapped up a five-wicket victory in the first Test as a stand of 132 between Alastair Cook and Ian Bell saw off an early West Indies charge. May 21, 2012, Tom Fordyce, “England v West Indies: Hosts cruise home in Lord's Test”, in BBC Sport
17. (military, plural often stand) A single set, as of arms.
    The police and troops captured eleven thousand stand of arms, including muskets and pistols, together with several thousand bludgeons and other weapons. 1927, Herbert Asbury, The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld, Paragon House, published 1990, page 170
18. (obsolete) Rank; post; station; standing.
19. (dated) A state of perplexity or embarrassment.
    to be at a stand what to do
20. A young tree, usually reserved when other trees are cut; also, a tree growing or standing upon its own root, in distinction from one produced from a scion set in a stock, either of the same or another kind of tree.
21. A location or position where one may stand.
22. (advertising) An advertisement filling an entire billboard, comprising many sheets of paper.
    The cost of the printing alone will average $2 a 'stand.' The sheets are about 28x42 inches and are in four colors, which means they must go through the process four times. 1900, Marketing Communications, volume 30, page 12
    Crew of 14 billers and a four-man brigade will be 10 days ahead and will use all special paper including new jungle and animal designs being prepared by Enquirer Printing Company. New this season will be a 20-sheet poster depicting 21 K-M elephants parading to local Chevrolet agencies. Deal calls for use of the 20-sheet on poster panels where the auto agency has space allotment. Smaller versions of the same art also will be used. Circulation of Kelly-Miller heralds, which last season averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 copies per stand, will be in for one of the greatest boosts this year. February 24 1951, Billboard, page 52
23. (fiction) A type of supernatural ability from the anime and manga series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, named for the fact that they appear to 'stand' next to their user.

Etymology 2

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).

noun

1. (US, Scotland, dated) 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 that Illustrious Princess.[…], volume I, […]the Editor [John Nichols],[…], published 1788, page 45
   […]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 Society; volume XXXIII), Durham: […]for the Society by George Andrews,[…]. London: Whittaker & Co.,[…]; T. & W. Boone,[…]. Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, published 1857, page 172
   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, London: John Petheram, published 1842, page 54
   Memp. Ile teach my wag-halter to know grapes from barley. Pris. And I mine to discerne a spigot from a faucet. Spe. And I mine, to iudge the difference between a blacke boule and a siluer goblet. Stel. And mine shall learne the oddes betweene a stand and a hogs-head; yet I cannot choose but laugh to see how my wag aunswered mee, when I stroke him for drinking sacke. 1594, John Lyly, “Mother Bombie”, in The Complete Works of John Lyly, published 1902, page 193
   As for the Tapſter, he fled into the Cellar, rapping out fiue or ſixe plaine Country oathes, that hée would drowne himſelfe in a moſt villanous Stand of Ale, if the ſicke Londoner ſtoode at the doore any longer. 1603, Thomas Dekker, “The VVonderfull Yeare”, in The Non-Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker, volume I, published 1884, pages 123–124
   I have the rareſt Stand of Ale to drink out in the Afternoon, with three or four honeſt Country-fellows; 1672, Thomas Shadwell, “Epsom-Wells”, in The Works of Thomas Shadwell, volume the second, London: […]James Knapton,[…]; and Jacob Tonson,[…], published 1720, page 196
   […]that he may have leave to meet ſome few Neighbours to duſt a ſtand of Ale[…] 1674, A Letter from a Gentleman of the Romish Religion to His Brother, a Person of Quality of the Same Religion; Perswading Him to Go to Church, and Take Those Oaths the Law Directs, Proving the Lawfulness Thereof by Arguments Not Disagreeable to Doctrines of the Roman Church, London: […]John Starkey, page 28
   All his war ſtore of proviſions conſiſted in three ſtands of barbicued veniſon, till he had an opportunity to revenge blood, and return home. 1775, James Adair, The History of The American Indians; Particularly Those Nations Adjoining to the Missisippi, East and West Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia:[…], London: […]Edward and Charles Dilly, page 395
   First dip me in a stand o milk, / And then a stand o water; a. 1791, “Tam Lin”, in Francis James Child, editor, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, part II, Boston, Mass.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company; New York:[…]; The Riverside Press, Cambridge; London: Henry Stevens,[…], published 1884, page 344
2. (obsolete) A weight of from two hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds, used in weighing pitch.