station

[ stey-shuhn ]

noun

1. a place or position in which a person or thing is normally located.

   Synonyms: location, situation

2. a stopping place for trains or other land conveyances, for the transfer of freight or passengers.
3. the building or buildings at such a stopping place.

   Synonyms: terminal, depot

4. the district or municipal headquarters of certain public services:

   police station; fire station; postal station.

5. a place equipped for some particular kind of work, service, research, or the like:

   gasoline station; geophysical station.

6. the position, as of persons or things, in a scale of estimation, rank, or dignity; standing:

   the responsibility of persons of high station.

7. a position, office, rank, calling, or the like.

   Synonyms: employment, business, trade, occupation

8. Radio and Television.
   1. a studio or building from which broadcasts originate.
   2. a person or organization originating and broadcasting messages or programs.
   3. a specific frequency or band of frequencies assigned to a regular or special broadcaster:

      Tune to the Civil Defense station.

   4. the complete equipment used in transmitting and receiving broadcasts.
9. Military.
   1. a military place of duty.
   2. a semipermanent army post.
10. Navy. a place or region to which a ship or fleet is assigned for duty.
11. (formerly in India) the area in which the British officials of a district or the officers of a garrison resided.
12. Biology. a particular area or type of region where a given animal or plant is found.
13. Australian. a ranch with its buildings, land, etc., especially for raising sheep.
14. Surveying.
    1. Also called instrument station, a point where an observation is taken.
    2. a precisely located reference point.
    3. a length of 100 feet (30 meters) along a survey line.
15. a section or area assigned to a waiter, soldier, etc.; post:

    The waiter says this isn't his station.

16. stations of the cross.
17. Archaic. the fact or condition of standing still.

verb (used with object)

1. to assign a station to; place or post in a station or position.

   Synonyms: fix, set, establish, locate, position

station

/ ˈsteɪʃən /

noun

1. the place or position at which a thing or person stands or is supposed to stand
2. 1. a place along a route or line at which a bus, train, etc, stops for fuel or to pick up or let off passengers or goods, esp one with ancillary buildings and services

      railway station

   2. ( as modifier )

      a station buffet

3. 1. the headquarters or local offices of an official organization such as the police or fire services
   2. ( as modifier ) See police station fire station

      a station sergeant

4. a building, depot, etc, with special equipment for some particular purpose

   television station

   power station

   petrol station

5. military a place of duty

   an action station

6. navy
   1. a location to which a ship or fleet is assigned for duty
   2. an assigned location for a member of a ship's crew
7. a radio or television channel
8. a position or standing, as in a particular society or organization
9. the type of one's occupation; calling
10. (in British India) a place where the British district officials or garrison officers resided
11. biology the type of habitat occupied by a particular animal or plant
12. a large sheep or cattle farm
13. surveying a point at which a reading is made or which is used as a point of reference
14. often capital RC Church
    1. one of the Stations of the Cross
    2. any of the churches ( station churches ) in Rome that have been used from ancient times as points of assembly for religious processions and ceremonies on particular days ( station days )
15. plural (in rural Ireland) mass, preceded by confessions, held annually in a parishioner's dwelling and attended by other parishioners

verb

1. tr to place in or assign to a station

Other Words From

• station·al adjective
• inter·station adjective
• re·station verb (used with object)
• un·station verb (used with object)
• un·stationed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of station¹

1350–1400; < Latin statiōn- (stem of statiō ) a standing still, standing-place, equivalent to stat ( us ) (past participle of stāre to stand ) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English stacioun < Anglo-French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of station¹

C14: via Old French from Latin statiō a standing still, from stāre to stand

Synonym Study

See appointment.

Example Sentences

Companies such as Fox Television Stations, Nexstar Media Group, Tegna and Gray Media are eager to buy more TV stations to better compete against deep-pocketed tech firms that are aggressively pursuing viewers and ad dollars.

From Los Angeles Times

The department has long faced allegations about secretive deputy groups running amok in certain stations and jails, controlling command staff and promoting a culture of violence.

From Los Angeles Times

Jackson, they wrote, was “ignorant, inexperienced” and a “man of no labor, no patience . . . wholly unqualified by education, habit and temper for the station of the president.”

From Salon

London Liverpool Street has retained its title of Britain's busiest railway station as passenger numbers soared over the past year, new figures show.

From BBC

He spoke of his mother as aloof and unloving and preferred the company of his “noble father,” who worked as a railroad station master and housed the family in an apartment above the Tulln station.

From New York Times

Related Words

• assign
• base
• establish
• install
• post