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battle station

battle station

15 7.1
A place often on a ship where sailors or soldiers go to prepare for fighting
  • noun
  • /ˈbætəl ˈsteɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : puesto de combate
  • - All hands, man your battle stations.
  • manning battle stations
  • call battle stations
  • remain at battle stations

Examples

Synonyms

emplacement
vsbattle station
  • Specialized
4 9.6

A prepared position where a weapon like a gun is placed for fighting

is meant for personnel to occupy rather than for placing weapons
military position
vsbattle station
1 4.7

A place where soldiers stay to fight or defend

is a specific location for personnel to occupy during combat, often on ships

Antonyms

26 3.6

Leaving someone or something and not coming back

20 6.2

Leaving someone, a place, or a duty when you should stay to help

How Ready

battle station
  • Specialized
15 7.1
standby
3.7
to keep watch
30 3.1
at ease
106 1.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

battle + station

The meaning 'a designated position for military personnel during combat' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'battle' (combat) with 'station' (assigned location). This noun+ noun compositional pattern is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Battle station comes from ships and forts where each sailor or soldier had a fixed station to take during a battle and use their weapons. When the alarm sounded everyone ran to their battle station, so today the phrase means the place you must go 'to get ready to fight' or to defend something.