Standby
noun, plural standbys.
1.
a staunch supporter or adherent; one who can be relied upon.
2.
something upon which one can rely and therefore choose or use regularly.
3.
something or someone held ready to serve as a substitute, especially a radio or television program used as a filler in case of cancellation of a regularly scheduled program.
4.
a traveler who is waiting for last-minute accommodations to become available on a plane, train, or other transport as a result of a cancellation.
adjective
5.
kept readily available for use in an emergency, shortage, or the like:
a standby player.
6.
of or relating to last-minute accommodations, the transport that offers them, or a traveler who is waiting for them:
a standby flight.
7.
of or relating to a waiting period.
Idioms
8.
on standby, in a state of readiness to act, respond, or be used immediately when needed.
Read Also:
- Stand-by
verb (used without object), stood, standing. 1. (of a person) to be in an upright position on the feet. 2. to rise to one’s feet (often followed by up). 3. to have a specified height when in this position: a basketball player who stands six feet seven inches. 4. to stop or remain motionless or […]
- Standby power
noun See energy vampire
- Standby time
noun the amount of time a battery can power a cellular telephone when calls are not being received or made; the maximum time a cellular telephone can remain in this mode, depending on its battery; also, this operational mode for any other kind of appliance
- Stand corrected
Agree that one was wrong, as in I stand corrected—we did go to Finland in 1985. This idiom was first recorded in John Dryden’s The Maiden Queen (1668): “I stand corrected, and myself reprove.”
- Stand-down
noun 1. Military. a temporary cessation of offensive actions; cease-fire; truce: a stand-down for the Christmas holidays. 2. a work stoppage or layoff.