benchmark

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A standard or point of reference against which things can be measured or judged.

   The top student's essay set the benchmark for the whole class.

2. 2
   verb

   To measure the quality or performance of something by comparing it against a standard or rival.

   The company benchmarked its prices against those of its competitors.

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.

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