par
par Lexical Profile
par Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In golf, the number of strokes a skilled player should normally require to complete a particular hole or an entire course.
"She sank a long putt on the final green to finish the round two under par."
An equal standing, level, or footing, or an usual, normal, or expected standard of quality or condition.
"His latest novel is not quite up to par compared with his earlier literary works."
The nominal or face value of a stock, bond, or other negotiable financial instrument, or the established value of a currency.
"The company issued new preferred shares at par to raise capital for the expansion."
• adjective
Equal to the standard, normal, or average level; in finance, at the nominal or face value of a security.
"The bond is currently trading at its par value on the open market."
• verb
To score the standard number of strokes assigned to a hole or course (in golf).
"He managed to par the difficult seventeenth hole despite driving his ball into a bunker."
• Rhymes for par
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century directly from Latin 'par', meaning 'equal' or 'an equal'. Its use in golf to denote the standard score for a hole emerged in the late 19th century.