on duty
At one's post, at work, as in The new nurse was on duty that evening, or The watchman was fired because he was drunk on duty. [Mid-1600s] The antonym, off duty, means “not engaged in one's work,” as in Captain Smith was much more amiable when he was off duty. [Mid-1800s]
Words Nearby on duty
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
How to use on duty in a sentence
On-duty NYPD officers in upper Manhattan have been working to quell the motorbike menace for the past two years.
Another on-duty officer was in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Drama For Kate As Shot Is Fired By Police Guarding Her | Tom Sykes | November 2, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe young scout rose, for he was on-duty, but the long rollers on the lake forbade the going forth.
Rolf In The Woods | Ernest Thompson Seton"A d——d ni-nice point to decide, when they're on-on duty," replied Phil.
Valentine M'Clutchy, The Irish Agent | William CarletonYou still have eleven hours and thirty minutes to go, out of your sixteen hours of actual on-duty trick.
Our Railroads To-Morrow | Edward Hungerford
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