standby

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “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.”

2. (countable, uncountable)A 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.”

3. (countable, uncountable)Sleep mode.
4. (countable, uncountable)Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
5. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “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.”

verb

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

   “Standby while I check that for you.”

   “For quotations using this term, see Citations:standby.”