Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One that can always be relied on, as in an emergency.
- noun One kept in readiness to serve as a substitute.
- noun A mode of operation for a computer, television, or other electronic device in which the power is on and the device is ready for immediate use.
- adjective Kept in reserve for use when needed.
- adjective Of, relating to, or waiting for unreserved travel space that is made available by an airline only shortly before departure.
- adverb On a standby basis.
- idiom (on standby) Ready and available.
- idiom (on standby) As a standby passenger.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun State of readiness without being immediately involved.
- noun travel Waiting at the airport in the hope of getting a seat on a flight that is already booked out.
- noun Something that is standard, well-tested, or frequently used.
- verb operations Wait briefly: alternative spelling of
stand by .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"If duty pump fails and the standby pump runs, should the term standby still applies?"
unknown title ericpolc 2009
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The light will flash every 5 seconds when it is in what I call standby mode when it is waiting to sense movement.
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The standard keyless entry, it seems, keeps the car in "standby" mode even with the engine shut off.
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So far, their device can collect up to 5 milliwatts of power, and their short term goal is to collect 20 milliwatts of power, which is just enough to keep the phone charged in standby mode.
Nokia Phone Charges by Drawing Energy Out of Thin Air | Inhabitat 2009
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Jobs said the two new Airs -- a 2. 3-lb. model with an 11. 6-in. screen, starting at $999 with 64 gigabytes of flash storage, and a 2. 9-lb. version with a 13. 3-in. screen, priced at $1,299 and up -- can stay asleep in standby mode for 30 days, with active battery life of five to seven hours.
Apple updates: iLife '11, FaceTime on the Mac, Mac OS X Lion, Mac App Store, new MacBook Air models Rob Pegoraro 2010
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It runs incredibly fast for the hardware I run it on (MSI Wind with 1. 5gig of ram), it feels much faster than the previous iBooks I've had, the standby is really quick and resume is instant, and it runs Office.
The Problems With A Hackintosh Netbook, Six Months Out | Lifehacker Australia 2009
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He went on to warn readers about so called "vampire appliances," such as computers, stereos and DVD players, which use power in standby mode.
Chu talks zombies and vampires on Facebook Associated Press 2010
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We have the VoiP phones like Vonage and the old standby is still standing by – forgotten.
RIP: 5 Things That Became Obsolete This Decade (Part 2) | myFiveBest 2009
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Improved battery life (2 weeks in standby mode with wireless disabled) 20% faster page turns
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Another 80s cartoon standby is represented on the first disc – - adolescent versions of adult characters.
Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s — An In-Depth Review » DVDs Worth Watching 2010
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