stand-down

or stand·down

[ stand-doun ]
See synonyms for stand-down on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Military. a temporary cessation of offensive actions; cease-fire; truce: a stand-down for the Christmas holidays.

  2. a work stoppage or layoff.

Origin of stand-down

1
First recorded in 1920–25; noun use of verb phrase stand down

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for stand down

stand down

verb(adverb)
  1. (intr) to resign or withdraw, esp in favour of another

  2. (intr) to leave the witness box in a court of law after giving evidence

  1. mainly British to go or be taken off duty

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with stand-down

stand-down

Leave a witness stand, as in The judge told her to stand down. [Late 1600s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.