standby
/ˈsteə̯ndˌbaɪ̯/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.42 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A state of readiness without immediate involvement; remaining in preparation for (a sudden or unforeseen event or situation).
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
Countable; Uncountable
verb
To wait briefly, as for additional communication by radio or telephone; alternative form of stand by.
Example Sentences
- "The troops were on standby in case of an attack."
- "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."
- "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."
- "That recipe is an old standby, and she keeps the ingredients around in case of unexpected guests."
- "The restaurant, Hop Louie, was a Chinatown standby for decades before closing in 2016."
- "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."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsteə̯ndˌbaɪ̯/