I. noun
1. : a mark on a fixed and enduring object (as on an outcropping of rock or a concrete post set into the ground) indicating a particular elevation and used as a reference in topographical surveys and tidal observations
2. usually benchmark ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ : a point of reference from which measurements of any sort may be made
the fact is a bench mark to measure our progress toward … culmination of the war — New Republic
II. noun
usually benchmark
ˈ ̷ ̷ ˌ ̷ ̷ : a standardized problem by which computer systems or programs are compared