standby

See also stand by

English

Alternative forms

• stand-by

Etymology

From stand + by.

Pronunciation

The noun is stressed on stand; the verb has stress on each part.

Noun

standby (plural standbys)

1. State of readiness without being immediately involved.

   The troops were on standby in case of an attack.

2. (travel) Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
3. Something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used.

   That recipe is an old standby, and she keeps the ingredients around in case of unexpected guests.

Translations

state of readiness without being immediately involved

• Danish: beredskab (da)
• German: Bereitschaft (de) f
• Greek: σε αναμονή (el) (se anamoní)

• Russian: готовность (ru) (gotóvnostʹ) f, состояние готовности (ru) (sostojánije gotóvnosti) n

something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used

• Greek: εφεδρικός (el) (efedrikós) m

Verb

standby (third-person singular simple present *standbys, present participle standbying, simple past and past participle *standbyed)

1. (proscribed neologism, operations) Wait briefly: alternative spelling of stand by.

   Standby while I check that for you.

Quotations

• For usage examples of this term, see the citations page.