standby

See also: stand-by and stand by

English

Alternative forms

• stand-by

Etymology

Deverbal from stand by.

Pronunciation

• (noun): IPA^(key): /ˈstændˌbaɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (verb): IPA^(key): /ˈstænd ˈbaɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

Noun

standby (countable and uncountable, plural standbys)

1. A 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.

2. (electronics) sleep mode
3. (travel) Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
4. Something 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.

   • 2022 March 2, Erin Woo, Kevin Roose, “This Social Club Runs On Crypto Tokens and Vibes”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

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

   • 2022 August 29, Julia Moskin, “It’s Not Just You — Blank Street Coffee Is Suddenly Inescapable”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     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.

Synonyms

• at the ready

Translations

state of readiness without immediate involvement

• Bulgarian: гото́вност (bg) f (gotóvnost)
• Danish: beredskab (da)
• Finnish: valmiustila (fi), valmius (fi)
• German: Bereitschaft (de) f
• Greek: αναμονή (el) f (anamoní)
• Hungarian: készenlét (hu), készültség (hu), harckészültség (hu)
• Maori: tūtatari
• Romanian: stare standby f, standby, așteptare (ro) f
• Russian: гото́вность (ru) f (gotóvnostʹ), состоя́ние гото́вности n (sostojánije gotóvnosti)

sleep mode of an electrical device — see also sleep mode

• Bulgarian: гото́вност (bg) f (gotóvnost)
• Hungarian: készenlét (hu), készenléti üzemmód

waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out

• Hungarian: lefoglalt, de üres/betöltetlen helyre várakozás repülőtéren

something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used

• Finnish: hätävara (fi)
• German: verlässliche und bewährte Sache f
• Greek: εφεδρικός (el) m (efedrikós)
• Hungarian: (jól) bevált (módszer/megoldás)

Verb

standby (third-person singular simple present standbys, present participle standbying, simple past and past participle standbyed)

1. (proscribed, nonstandard, operations) To wait briefly, as for additional communication by radio or telephone; alternative spelling of stand by

   Standby while I check that for you.

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:standby.

Translations

to wait briefly

• Bulgarian: стоя в състояние на готовност (stoja v sǎstojanie na gotovnost)
• Finnish: odottaa hetki
• German: dranbleiben, kurz warten, abwarten (de), in Wartestellung bleiben
• Maori: tūtatari

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English standby.

Adjective

standby m or f or n (indeclinable)

1. standby

Declension

Declension of standby (invariable)

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	standby		standby	standby	standby
	definite	—		—	—	—
genitive/ dative	indefinite	standby		standby	standby	standby
	definite	—		—	—	—