stand (stands plural & 3rd person present) (standing present participle) (stood past tense & past participle )
1 verb When you are standing, your body is upright, your legs are straight, and your weight is supported by your feet.
She was standing beside my bed staring down at me... V prep
They told me to stand still and not to turn round... V adj
Overcrowding is so bad that prisoners have to sleep in shifts, while others have to stand. V
Stand up means the same as stand., phrasal verb
We waited, standing up, for an hour. V P
2 verb When someone who is sitting stands, they change their position so that they are upright and on their feet.
Becker stood and shook hands with Ben. V
Stand up means the same as stand., phrasal verb
When I walked in, they all stood up and started clapping. V P
3 verb If you standaside or standback, you move a short distance sideways or backwards, so that you are standing in a different place.
I stood aside to let her pass me... V adv/prep
The policemen stood back. Could it be a bomb? V adv/prep
4 verb If something such as a building or a piece of furniture stands somewhere, it is in that position, and is upright.
WRITTEN The house stands alone on top of a small hill... V prep/adv
5 verb You can say that a building is standing when it remains after other buildings around it have fallen down or been destroyed.
There are very few buildings left standing. V
6 verb If you stand something somewhere, you put it there in an upright position.
(=place)
Stand the plant in the open in a sunny, sheltered place. V n prep/adv
7 verb If you leave food or a mixture of something tostand, you leave it without disturbing it for some time.
The salad improves if made in advance and left to stand. V
8 n-count If you take or make a stand, you do something or say something in order to make it clear what your attitude to a particular thing is.
usu sing, oft N against/on n
He felt the need to make a stand against racism in South Africa..., They must take a stand and cast their votes...
9 verb If you ask someone where or how they standon a particular issue, you are asking them what their attitude or view is.
The amendment will force senators to show where they stand on the issue of sexual harassment... where V on n
So far, the bishop hasn't said where he stands. where V
10 verb If you do not know where you standwith someone, you do not know exactly what their attitude to you is.
No-one knows where they stand with him; he is utterly unpredictable... where V with n
11 v-link You can use stand instead of `be' when you are describing the present state or condition of something or someone.
The alliance stands ready to do what is necessary... V adj
The peace plan as it stands violates basic human rights. V
12 verb If a decision, law, or offer stands, it still exists and has not been changed or cancelled.
Although exceptions could be made, the rule still stands... V
13 verb If something that can be measured stands at a particular level, it is at that level.
The inflation rate now stands at 3.6 per cent... V at amount
14 verb You can describe how tall or high someone or something is by saying that they stand a particular height.
She stood five feet five inches tall and weighed 120 pounds... V amount adj
She stood tall and aloof. V adj
15 verb If something can stand a situation or a test, it is good enough or strong enough to experience it without being damaged, harmed, or shown to be inadequate.
These are the first machines that can stand the wear and tear of continuously crushing glass... V n
16 verb If you cannot stand something, you cannot bear it or tolerate it.
I can't stand any more. I'm going to run away... V n/-ing
How does he stand the pain? V n/-ing
17 verb If you cannot stand someone or something, you dislike them very strongly.
INFORMAL
(=bear)
He can't stand me smoking. V n/-ing
18 verb If you stand to gain something, you are likely to gain it. If you stand to lose something, you are likely to lose it.
The management group would stand to gain millions of dollars if the company were sold... V to-inf
19 verb If you standin an election, you are a candidate in it.
(BRIT)
He has not yet announced whether he will stand in the election... V in n
in AM, use run
20 n-count A stand is a small shop or stall, outdoors or in a large public building.
oft n N
(=stall)
She bought a hot dog from a stand on a street corner.
→
newsstand
21 n-count A stand at a sports ground is a large structure where people sit or stand to watch what is happening.
(BRIT)
In American English, stands is used with same meaning., n-plural
The people in the stands at Candlestick Park are standing and cheering with all their might.
22 n-count A stand is an object or piece of furniture that is designed for supporting or holding a particular kind of thing.
The teapot came with a stand to catch the drips.
23 n-count A stand is an area where taxis or buses can wait to pick up passengers.
usu n N
Luckily there was a taxi stand nearby.
24 n-sing In a law court, the stand is the place where a witness stands to answer questions.
the N
When the father took the stand today, he contradicted his son's testimony...
26 If you say itstands to reasonthat something is true or likely to happen, you mean that it is obvious.
stands to reason phrase V inflects, usu it PHR that
It stands to reason that if you are considerate and friendly to people you will get a lot more back...
27 If you stand in the way of something or stand in a person's way, you prevent that thing from happening or prevent that person from doing something.
stand in the way of sth/sb phrase V inflects
The British government would not stand in the way of such a proposal...
28
→
to stand a chance
→
chance
→
to stand up and be counted
→
count
→
to stand firm
→
firm
→
to stand on your own two feet
→
foot
→
to stand your ground
→
ground
→
to stand someone in good stead
→
stead
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to stand trial
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trial stand aside phrasal verb If someone stands aside, they resign from an important job or position, often in order to let someone else take their place.
(BRIT)
(=stand down)
The President said he was willing to stand aside if that would stop the killing. V P
in AM, use stand down stand back phrasal verb If you stand back and think about a situation, you think about it as if you were not involved in it.
(=step back)
Stand back and look objectively at the problem. V P stand by
1 phrasal verb If you are standing by, you are ready and waiting to provide help or to take action.
British and American warships are standing by to evacuate their citizens if necessary... V P to-inf
We will be holding the auditions from nine o'clock tomorrow night so stand by for details. V P for n
→
standby
2 phrasal verb If you stand by and let something bad happen, you do not do anything to stop it., (disapproval)
The Secretary of Defence has said that he would not stand by and let democracy be undermined... V P
3 phrasal verb If you stand by someone, you continue to give them support, especially when they are in trouble., (approval)
(=stick by)
I wouldn't break the law for a friend, but I would stand by her if she did. V P n
4 phrasal verb If you stand by an earlier decision, promise, or statement, you continue to support it or keep it.
(=stick by)
The decision has been made and I have got to stand by it... V P n stand down phrasal verb If someone stands down, they resign from an important job or position, often in order to let someone else take their place.
(=step down, resign)
Four days later, the despised leader finally stood down, just 17 days after taking office... V P
Profits plunged and he stood down as chairman last January. V P as n stand for
1 phrasal verb If you say that a letter stands for a particular word, you mean that it is an abbreviation for that word.
What does EU stand for? V P n
2 phrasal verb The ideas or attitudes that someone or something stands for are the ones that they support or represent.
(=represent)
The party is trying to give the impression that it alone stands for democracy... V P n
3 phrasal verb If you will not stand for something, you will not allow it to happen or continue.
with neg
It's outrageous, and we won't stand for it any more. V P n stand in phrasal verb If you stand infor someone, you take their place or do their job, because they are ill or away.
I had to stand in for her on Tuesday when she didn't show up. V P for n
...the acting president, who's standing in while she's out of the country. V P
→
stand-in stand out
1 phrasal verb If something stands out, it is very noticeable.
Every tree, wall and fence stood out against dazzling white fields... V P
2 phrasal verb If something stands out, it is much better or much more important than other things of the same kind.
He played the violin, and he stood out from all the other musicians... V P from n
3 phrasal verb If something stands out from a surface, it rises up from it.
(=stick out)
His tendons stood out like rope beneath his skin... V P stand up
2 phrasal verb If something such as a claim or a piece of evidence stands up, it is accepted as true or satisfactory after being carefully examined.
He made wild accusations that did not stand up... V P
How well does this thesis stand up to close examination? V P to n
3 phrasal verb If a boyfriend or girlfriend stands you up, they fail to keep an arrangement to meet you.
INFORMAL We were to have had dinner together yesterday evening, but he stood me up... V n P stand up for phrasal verb If you stand up for someone or something, you defend them and make your feelings or opinions very clear., (approval)
(=stick up for)
They stood up for what they believed to be right... V P P n stand up to
1 phrasal verb If something stands up to bad conditions, it is not damaged or harmed by them.
Is this building going to stand up to the strongest gales? V P P n/-ing
2 phrasal verb If you stand up to someone, especially someone more powerful than you are, you defend yourself against their attacks or demands. He hit me, so I hit him back<endash>the first time in my life I'd stood up to him... V P P n
Mexican stand-off (Mexican stand-offs plural )A Mexican stand-off is a situation in which neither of the people or groups in a conflict or dispute can win and neither wants to give in first.
(AM) n-count usu sing
music stand (music stands plural )A music stand is a device that holds pages of music in position while you play a musical instrument. n-count
night stand (night stands plural )A night stand is a small table or cupboard that you have next to your bed.
(AM) n-count
in BRIT, use bedside table
one-night stand (one-night stands plural )A one-night stand is a very brief sexual relationship, usually one that is casual and perhaps only lasts one night.
INFORMAL n-count
reviewing stand (reviewing stands plural )A reviewing stand is a special raised platform from which military and political leaders watch military parades. n-count
stand-alone
1 adj A stand-alone business or organization is independent and does not receive financial support from another organization. (BUSINESS) ADJ n
They plan to relaunch it as a stand-alone company.
2 adj A stand-alone computer is one that can operate on its own and does not have to be part of a network. (COMPUTING) ADJ n
...an operating system that can work on networks and stand-alone machines.
stand-in (stand-ins plural )A stand-in is a person who takes someone else's place or does someone else's job for a while, for example because the other person is ill or away. n-count
He was a stand-in for my regular doctor.
stand-off (stand-offs plural ), standoff A stand-off is a situation in which neither of two opposing groups or forces will make a move until the other one does something, so nothing can happen until one of them gives way. n-count
The State Department was warning that this could lead to another diplomatic stand-off.
→
Mexican stand-off
stand-offish , standoffish
If you say that someone is stand-offish, you mean that they behave in a formal and rather unfriendly way. adj
(disapproval)
(=aloof)
He can be quite stand-offish and rude, even to his friends.
stand-up , standup
1 adj A stand-up comic or comedian stands alone in front of an audience and tells jokes.
ADJ n
Women do not normally break into the big time by doing stand-up comedy.
2 adj If people have a stand-up argument or fight, they stand up and shout at each other or hit each other violently.
ADJ n
taxi stand (taxi stands plural )A taxi stand is the same as a taxi rank.
(mainly AM) n-count
witness stand
The witness stand is the same as the witness box.
(AM) n-sing the N
