Link Centre Dictionary

benchmark

bench·mark

UK/ˈbɛn(t)ʃmɑːk/ US/ˈbɛˌntʃmɑrk/ rare

noun

1.

a standard by which something can be measured or judged

  • “his painting sets the benchmark of quality”
2.

a surveyor''s mark on a permanent object of predetermined position and elevation used as a reference point

Synonyms

Origin

From bench + mark. First use appears c. 1842. Originally a mark cut into a stone by land surveyors to secure a bench (from land surveying jargon in the 19th century, meaning a type of bracket), to mount measuring equipment. The figurative sense first appears c. 1884.

Phrases

  • canned benchmark

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.