Dictionary
1standby
noun stand·by \ˈstan(d)-ˌbī\
: a person or thing that is available especially in emergencies
plural stand·bys \-ˌbīz\
Full Definition of STANDBY
1
a : one to be relied on especially in emergencies b : a favorite or reliable choice or resource
2
: one that is held in reserve ready for use : substitute
— on standby
: ready or available for immediate action or use
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First Known Use of STANDBY
1796
Rhymes with STANDBY
aby, agley, air-dry, Alai, ally, Altai, anti, apply, assai, awry, aye-aye, Bacchae, Baha'i, banzai, barfly, bee fly, Belgae, belie, bigeye, big lie, black eye, blackfly, black tie, blow-dry, blowby, blowfly, blue-sky, Bo Hai, bone-dry, bonsai, botfly, Brunei, buckeye, bugeye, bye-bye, canaille, catchfly, cat's-eye, Chennai, chess pie, Chiang Mai, cockeye, cockshy, come by, comply, cow pie, crane fly, cross-eye, deadeye, decry, deep-fry, deep-sky, deerfly, defy, Delphi, deny, descry, do by, dong quai, drip-dry, drop by, dry eye, dry fly, elhi, Eli, espy, face fly, firefly, fish-eye, flesh fly, flyby, fly high, forby, freeze-dry, frogeye, fruit fly, gadfly, gallfly, get by, GI, glass eye, go by, good-bye, greenfly, grisaille, gun-shy, Haggai, Hawkeye, heel fly, hereby, hi-fi, hog-tie, horn fly, horsefly, housefly, imply, jai alai, July, Karzai, Kasai, knee-high, lanai, Lanai, lay-by, lay by, Lehigh, let fly, Levi, lie by, magpie, mai tai, mao-tai, Masai, mayfly, medfly, mind's eye, Moirai, mooneye, Mumbai, my eye, nearby, necktie, nilgai, nisi, outbye, outcry, oxeye, pad thai, Panay, panfry, Parcae, piece-dye, pigsty, pinkeye, Po Hai, pop eye, pop fly, potpie, put by, Qinghai, quasi, rabbi, red-eye, rely, reply, rib eye, ride high, rocaille, rough-dry, run dry, Sakai, sand fly, sci-fi, screw eye, semi, Sendai, serai, set by, shanghai, Shanghai, sheep's eye, shoofly, shut-eye, Sinai, sky-high, small-fry, stand by, stir-fry, string tie, supply, swear by, terai, test-fly, thereby, tie-dye, titi, tongue-tie, Transkei, twist tie, two-ply, untie, vat dye, Versailles, walleye, well-nigh, whereby, whitefly, wild rye, wise guy
2standby
adjective
: relating to or traveling by an airline service in which the passenger must wait for an available seat
Full Definition of STANDBY
1
: held near at hand and ready for use <a standby power plant> <standby equipment>
2
: relating to the act or condition of standing by <standby duty> <a standby period>
3
: of, relating to, or traveling by an airline service in which the passenger must wait for an available unreserved seat <standby passengers> <a standby ticket>
See standby defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of STANDBY
1872
3standby
adverb
Definition of STANDBY
: on a standby basis <fly standby>
First Known Use of STANDBY
1971
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