on the qui vive
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.78 in modern English
30
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
2
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
adv
In a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle.
Example Sentences
- "The political influence wielded by many of the court ladies, and especially by the first lady-in-waiting (mother of the present Emperor), bears a certain resemblance to that which the eunuchs wielded under the later Manchus at the court of Peking. […] And behind the 30 ladies-in-waiting there are the rank and file of female palace attendants, some 300, all of Kyoto stock—quite sufficient to keep any conscientious chamberlain on the qui vive."
- "The question of who pressed the bell that sounded in Erskine's room, in the night, was a great source of worry to Watt, for a time, and kept him awake at night, on the qui vive."