bide one's time

Idioms and Phrases

Wait for the opportune moment, as in The cat sat in front of the mousehole, biding its time . This phrase employs the verb to bide in the sense of “to wait for,” a usage dating from about a.d. 950 and surviving mainly in this locution.

Related Words

• await
• delay
• expect
• hang
• linger
• remain
• stand by
• stay
• stick around
• watch