sta nd|ard of li v|ing (standards of living ) N‑COUNT Your standard of living is the level of comfort and wealth which you have. □ We'll continue to fight for a decent standard of living for our members.
sta nd|ard time N‑UNCOUNT Standard time is the official local time of a region or country. □ French standard time is GMT plus 1 hr.
stand|by /stæ ndba I / (standbys ) also stand-by
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A standby is something or someone that is always ready to be used if they are needed. □ He sat through the trial as a standby juror.
2 PHRASE If someone or something is on standby , they are ready to be used if they are needed. □ Security forces have been put on standby in case of violence.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A standby ticket for something such as the theatre or a plane journey is a cheap ticket that you buy just before the performance starts or the plane takes off, if there are still some seats left. □ Access International books standby flights from New York to Europe. ● ADV [ADV after v] Standby is also an adverb. □ Magda was going to fly standby.
sta nd-in (stand-ins ) N‑COUNT 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. □ He was a stand-in for my regular doctor.
stand|ing /stæ nd I ŋ/ (standings )
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft adj N , with poss] Someone's standing is their reputation or status. □ …an artist of international standing. □ He has improved his country's standing abroad.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, with poss] A party's or person's standing is their popularity. □ The opinion poll shows the party's standing has never been so low.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use standing to describe something which is permanently in existence. □ Israel has a relatively small standing army and its strength is based on its reserves. □ Elizabeth had a standing invitation to stay with her.
4 → see also free-standing , long-standing
5 PHRASE You can use the expression of many years' standing to say that something has had a particular function or someone has had a particular role for many years. For example, if a place is your home of ten years' standing , it has been your home for ten years. [WRITTEN ] □ …a Congressman of 24 years' standing. □ My girlfriend of long standing left me.
sta nd|ing jo ke (standing jokes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something is a standing joke among a group of people, they often make jokes about it. □ Her precision became a standing joke with colleagues.
sta nd|ing o r|der (standing orders ) N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A standing order is an instruction to your bank to pay a fixed amount of money to someone at regular times. [BRIT ]
sta nd|ing ova |tion (standing ovations ) N‑COUNT If a speaker or performer gets a standing ovation when they have finished speaking or performing, the audience stands up to clap in order to show its admiration or support.
sta nd|ing room N‑UNCOUNT Standing room is space in a room or bus, where people can stand when all the seats have been occupied. □ The place quickly fills up so it's soon standing room only.
sta nd-off (stand-offs ) also standoff
1 N‑COUNT 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. □ This situation could lead to another diplomatic stand-off.
2 → see also Mexican stand-off
sta nd-o ffish also standoffish ADJ If you say that someone is stand-offish , you mean that they behave in a formal and rather unfriendly way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He can be quite stand-offish and rude, even to his friends.
stand|out /stæ ndaʊt/ (standouts ) also stand-out N‑COUNT Journalists use standout to refer to a person or thing that is much better than the other people or things involved in something. [AM , AUSTRALIAN ] □ In the earlier rounds, Ferguson and Dickinson were the standouts.
stand|pipe /stæ ndpa I p/ (standpipes ) N‑COUNT A standpipe is a vertical pipe that is connected to a water supply and stands in a street or other public place.
stand|point /stæ ndpɔ I nt/ (standpoints ) N‑COUNT [usu from N ] From a particular standpoint means looking at an event, situation, or idea in a particular way. □ He believes that from a military standpoint, the situation is under control. □ From my standpoint, you know, this thing is just ridiculous.
stand|still /stæ ndst I l/ N‑SING [usu to/at N ] If movement or activity comes to or is brought to a standstill , it stops completely. □ Abruptly the group ahead of us came to a standstill. □ Production is more or less at a standstill.
sta nd-up also standup (stand-ups )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A stand-up comic or comedian stands alone in front of an audience and tells jokes. □ Women do not normally break into the big time by doing stand-up comedy. ● N‑COUNT Stand-up is also a noun. □ …one of the worst stand-ups alive.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Stand-up is stand-up comedy. □ …getting by on likeability, professionalism and the kind of nerve you need to do stand-up.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] If people have a stand-up argument or fight, they stand up and shout at each other or hit each other violently.
stank /stæ ŋk/ Stank is the past tense of stink .
Stanley knife /stæ nli na I f/ (Stanley knives ) N‑COUNT A Stanley knife is a very sharp knife that is used to cut materials such as carpet and paper. It consists of a small blade fixed in the end of a handle. [TRADEMARK ]