stand-by

A form of standby — A state of readiness without immediate involvement; remaining in preparation for (a sudden or unforeseen event or situation).

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Meanings

nounstand-by (countable and uncountable, plural stand-bys)

plural stand-bys

  1. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of standby.

    […] a "Britannia" Pacific, No. 70006, was kept as a stand-by at March.

    1962 April, “Motive power miscellany: Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, page 279

Origin

Deverbal from stand by.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

stand-by. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand-by

MLA

“stand-by.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand-by. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand-by,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand-by.

Source: stand-by on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.