stance

Meanings

1. The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands.
2. One's opinion or point of view.
3. A place to stand; a position, a site, a station.
4. A foothold or ledge on which to set up a belay.
5. A place for buses or taxis to await passengers; a bus stop, a taxi rank.
6. A place where a fair or market is held; a location where a street trader can carry on business.
7. A stanza.

1. To place, to position, to station; (specifically) to put (cattle) into an enclosure or pen in preparation for sale.

Etymology

From Middle English staunce (“place to stand; battle station; position; standing in society; circumstance, situation; stanchion”), from Old French estance (“predicament; situation; sojourn, stay”) (compare modern French stance (“stanza; position one stands in when golfing”)), from Italian stanza (“room, standing place; stanza”), from Vulgar Latin *stantia, from Latin stō (“to stand; to remain, stay”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand (up)”). The word is cognate with Spanish estante (“shelf”) and a doublet of stanza. The verb is derived from the noun. Compare typologically Czech postoj (“stance (the way of holding a body); stance (point of view)”) (cognate via PIE). Also see position, posture.

Translations