STAND BY


Meaning of STAND BY in English

I. phrasal

1.

a. : to remain loyal or faithful to : support , defend

stand by the Constitution

stood by her husband through all his troubles

a strong minority would always stand by the king — G.G.Coulton

b. : to stick to

stood by all his promises

: maintain

2. : to get ready or in position to operate

stand by the lifeboats

II. intransitive verb

Etymology: Middle English standen by, from standen to stand + by

1.

a. : to be near at hand : be present

made the statement with several witnesses standing by

b. : to remain apart or aloof

how can you stand by and let your son ruin himself

2.

a. : to be or to get ready to act

standing by to await instructions

ordered to stand by to let go the anchor

b. of a transmitting station : to be ready to send signals

c. of a receiving station : to remain tuned in

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.