standby

plural standbys · alternative stand-by

1. countableuncountableA state of readiness without immediate involvement; remaining in preparation for (a sudden or unforeseen event or situation).

   The troops were on standby in case of an attack.

   1 more example

   In 1915, concurrent with the L.S.W.R. electrification, power was supplied from the Waterloo sub-station, and the old equipment held in reserve. Some generator sets were removed, and motor generators installed for standby lighting and other services.

   1958 August 28, T. S. Lascelles, “Diamond Jubilee of the Waterloo & City Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 523

2. countableuncountableA replacement kept on standby.

   During three weeks of the run, I was performing with walking pneumonia, but I had no choice other than to perform because we didn't have the budget for stand-bys.

   1977 December 17, Harold Pickett, quoting Jim Ferguson, “New York, New York”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 24, page 6

3. countableuncountablebusinessSleep mode.
4. countableuncountablelifestyleWaiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
5. countableuncountableSomething 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.

   2 more examples

   The restaurant, Hop Louie, was a Chinatown standby for decades before closing in 2016.

   2022 March 2, Erin Woo, Kevin Roose, “This Social Club Runs On Crypto Tokens and Vibes”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2023

   Emerging from an Everyman Espresso shop in Park Slope, Brooklyn, last month, David Lieber, a customer, lamented what he saw as Blank Street’s targeting of a neighborhood standby.

   2022 August 29, Julia Moskin, “It’s Not Just You — Blank Street Coffee Is Suddenly Inescapable”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023

present singular third person standbys · participle present standbying · participle past standbyed · past standbyed · alternative stand-by

1. nonstandardproscribedoperationsTo wait briefly, as for additional communication by radio or telephone; alternative form of stand by.

   Standby while I check that for you.

   1 more example

   For quotations using this term, see Citations:standby.