01 n. A flag; colors; a banner; especially, a national or other ensign.
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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.
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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.
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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 propriety and correctness of speech.” — Swift.“A disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve, taken together, would be my standard of a statesman.” — Burke.
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4.
The proportion of weights of fine metal and alloy established by authority.(Coinage)“By the present standard of the coinage, sixty-two shillings is coined out of one pound weight of silver.” — Arbuthnot.
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5.
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.(Hort.)“In France part of their gardens is laid out for flowers, others for fruits; some standards, some against walls.” — Sir W. Temple.
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6.
The upper petal or banner of a papilionaceous corolla.(Bot.)
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7.
An upright support, as one of the poles of a scaffold; any upright in framing.(Mech. & Carp.)
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8.
An inverted knee timber placed upon the deck instead of beneath it, with its vertical branch turned upward from that which lies horizontally.(Shipbuilding)
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9.
The sheth of a plow.
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10.
A large drinking cup.
Phrases & compounds
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.