Par
/pɑːr/noun
A term used in golf and other contexts to mean an expected standard, average, or equal value.
Did you know?In finance, a bond trading “at par” means it is selling for its face value, preserving the old idea of exact equality that the word carried from Latin into English.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
par
“equal; like; matching in status or amount”
Old French
Old French
par
“equal; even; comparable”
14th Century
English
par
“equality; a standard level or average”
19th Century
English
par
“the standard number of strokes expected for a hole in golf”
Modern English
English
par
“a standard, expected, or average level”