Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - par

~ n 1 be on a par (with) to be at the same level or standard  (The wages of clerks were on a par with those of manual workers.) 2 be below/under par a) to feel a little ill or lacking in energy  (I've been feeling a little under par the last couple of weeks.) b) also not be up to par to be less good than usual or below the proper standard  (None of the people who'd auditioned were really up to par.) 3 be par for the course to be what you would normally expect to happen  (The train's late again - I guess that's about par for the course.) 4 the number of strokes a player should take to hit the ball into a hole in the game of golf 5 also par value the value of a stock or bond that is printed on it when it is first sold  (a par value of $40 million)  (- see also par excellence)