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definitions

one-night stand

[ wuhn-nahyt ]
/ ˈwʌnˌnaɪt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR one-night stand ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a single performance in one locale, as by a touring theatrical company, before moving on to the next engagement.
a place where such a performance is given.
Informal.
  1. a single, unrepeated sexual encounter, as one lasting for just one night.
  2. a participant in such an encounter.

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RELATED WORDS

stand, tryst, one-nighter

Nearby words

  1. one-lung,
  2. one-lunger,
  3. one-man,
  4. one-man show,
  5. one-many,
  6. one-nighter,
  7. one-note,
  8. one-of-a-kind,
  9. one-off,
  10. one-on-one

Origin of one-night stand

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for one-night stand

  • The general atmosphere of the parlor reminded me of the stage-settings one comes across in one-night-stand theatres.

    My Actor-Husband|Anonymous
British Dictionary definitions for one-night stand

one-night stand

noun

a performance given only once at any one place
informal
  1. a sexual encounter lasting only one evening or night
  2. a person regarded as being only suitable for such an encounter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012