1readiness for duty or immediate deployment:buses were placed on standby for the journey to London
[count noun] a person or thing ready to be deployed immediately, especially if needed as backup in an emergency:a generator was kept as a standby in case of power failure [as modifier]:a standby rescue vessel
an operational mode of an electrical appliance in which the power is switched on but the appliance is not actually functioning:switch off the TV at night instead of leaving it on standby
[as modifier] denoting an economic or financial measure prepared for implementation in specified circumstances:a standby credit facility
2the state of waiting to secure an unreserved place for a journey or performance, allocated on the basis of earliest availability:passengers were obliged to go on standby
[count noun] a person waiting to secure an unreserved place for a journey or performance:standbys are allowed to board when all the passengers with confirmed reservations are seated
