Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Standby for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Standby" — noun, pronounced /ˈstændbaɪ/, with the stress on "stand".
Narrator: Standby means being ready to be used or to act if needed.
Narrator: In plain English, ready and waiting.
Narrator: It comes from the phrase stand by, to be ready.
Narrator: A common collocation is "on standby", which describes waiting to help.
Narrator: It differs from "backup", because standby stresses readiness.
Narrator: In a second sense, standby mode keeps a device partly on, using power.
Narrator: Travel, emergency services, electronics and IT use the word.
Narrator: So remember: standby means ready when needed.
Speaker A: Is the TV off?
Speaker B: Just on STANDBY! From stand by.
Speaker A: Still using power?
Speaker B: A little.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Ambulances on standby", emergencies. "A standby flight", travel. "Switch off standby devices", energy.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Use "standby" as a noun, and "stand by" as a verb.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Backup is its cousin, reserve its twin, and fallback an alternative — yet standby keeps its ready charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "standby" in AI prompts — useful for server failover and energy saving.
Speaker A: How for servers?
Speaker B: Failover.
Prompt: Design a standby database that takes over if the main one fails.
Speaker A: And energy?
Speaker B: Saving.
Prompt: Estimate yearly costs of devices left on standby.
Speaker A: Could it help rotas?
Speaker B: Yes, for staff.
Prompt: Build an on-call standby rota for weekends.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Travel.
Prompt: Explain how standby flights work for airline staff.
Standby — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary