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stand for

Origin

stand

[stand] ,verb, stood, stand·ing, noun, plural stands for 28–48, stands, stand for 49.
verb (used without object)
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.
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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.
a.
to take or hold a particular course at sea.
b.
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.
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verb (used with object)
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.
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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.
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Stand for is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
noun
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.
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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.
COLLAPSE
51.
stand by,
a.
to uphold; support: She stood by him whenever he was in trouble.
b.
to adhere to (an agreement, promise, etc.); affirm: She stood by her decision despite her sister's arguments.
c.
to stand ready; wait: Please stand by while I fix this antenna.
d.
to get ready to speak, act, etc., as at the beginning of a radio or television program.
e.
to be ready to board a plane, train, or other transport if accommodations become available at the last minute.
52.
stand down,
a.
Law. to leave the witness stand.
b.
to step aside; withdraw, as from a competition: I agreed to stand down so that she could run for the nomination unopposed.
c.
to leave or take out of active work or service: to stand down some of the ships in the fleet.
53.
stand for,
a.
to represent; symbolize: P.S. stands for “postscript.”
b.
to advocate; favor: He stands for both freedom and justice.
c.
Informal. to tolerate; allow: I won't stand for any nonsense!
54.
stand in with,
a.
to be in association or conspiracy with.
b.
to enjoy the favor of; be on friendly terms with.
55.
stand off,
a.
to keep or stay at a distance.
b.
to put off; evade.
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56.
stand on,
a.
to depend on; rest on: The case stands on his testimony.
b.
to be particular about; demand: to stand on ceremony.
c.
Nautical. to maintain a course and speed.
57.
stand out,
a.
to project; protrude: The piers stand out from the harbor wall.
b.
to be conspicuous or prominent: She stands out in a crowd.
c.
to persist in opposition or resistance; be inflexible.
d.
Nautical. to maintain a course away from shore.
58.
stand over,
a.
to supervise very closely; watch constantly: He won't work unless someone stands over him.
b.
to put aside temporarily; postpone: to let a project stand over until the following year.
59.
stand to,
a.
to continue to hold; persist in: to stand to one's statement.
b.
to keep at steadily: Stand to your rowing, men!
c.
to wait in readiness; stand by: Stand to for action.
60.
stand up,
a.
to come to or remain in a standing position: to stand up when being introduced.
b.
to remain strong, convincing, or durable: The case will never stand up in court. Wool stands up better than silk.
c.
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,
a.
to defend the cause of; support: No one could understand why he stood up for an incorrigible criminal.
b.
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.
COLLAPSE
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


25. abide, stomach. See bear1.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To stand for
Collins
World English Dictionary
stand for
 
vb
1.  to represent or mean
2.  chiefly (Brit) to be or become a candidate for
3.  to support or recommend
4.  informal to tolerate or bear: he won't stand for any disobedience

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

stand
"pause, delay," O.E., from the root of stand (v.). Meaning "place of standing, position" is from c.1300; fig. sense is from 1595. Sense of "action of standing or coming to a position" is attested from 1392, especially in ref. to fighting. Meaning "raised platform for a hunter
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or sportsman" is attested from c.1400. Sense of "Stall or booth" is first recorded 1508. Military meaning "complete set" (of arms, colors, etc.) is from 1721, often a collective sing. Sense of "standing growth of trees" is 1868, Amer.Eng. Theatrical sense of "each stop made on a performance tour" is from 1896. The word was formerly also slang for "an erection" (1867).

stand for
1567, "represent, be in place of," from stand (v.). Meaning "endure, undergo" is recorded from 1606. Sense of "tolerate" first recorded 1626.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

stand for

  1. Represent, symbolize, as in The stars and stripes stands for our country. [Early 1600s]

  2. Advocate, support, uphold, as in The National Writers Union stands for freedom of the press. [c. 1300] Also see stand up for.

  3. Put up with, tolerate. This usage is generally in a negative context, as in Mother will not stand for rude behavior. [Late 1800s] Also see hold still for.

  4. stand for something. Have some value or importance, as in She realized that appearances do stand for something. This usage dates from the mid-1800s but was preceded by stand for nothing, meaning "be worthless," dating from the late 1300s. Also see stand in for.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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