station
station
Pronunciation
IPA: /ˈsteɪʃən/
sta- /steɪ/:
/s/: voiceless alveolar fricative
/t/: voiceless alveolar stop
/eɪ/: diphthong (as in "say")
-tion /ʃən/:
/ʃ/: voiceless post-alveolar fricative (as in "shoe")
/ə/: schwa (unstressed vowel, as in "about")
/n/: voiced alveolar nasal
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: station
Plural Noun: stations
Verb (base form): station
Verb (third-person singular present): stations
Verb (present participle): stationing
Verb (past tense/past participle): stationed
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A designated stopping point or facility along a route, typically for public transportation like trains, buses, or subways, where passengers can board or alight.
Synonyms: terminal, depot, stop, halt, post
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts like "departure point" or "destination" might be considered in context, but not as direct opposites of the facility itself.)
A building or complex of buildings equipped for a specific public service or activity, often implying a central or headquarters role.
Synonyms: headquarters, post, center, facility, office, precinct
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; concepts like "outpost" or "remote site" might be considered for a less central role.)
A specific place or position where a person or thing is assigned or located, especially for a particular duty or purpose.
Synonyms: post, position, location, assignment, beat, locus
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; "mobility" or "unassigned" might be considered in certain contexts.)
A facility for broadcasting radio or television signals.
Synonyms: broadcaster, channel, network, media outlet
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms.)
Verb
To assign someone or something to a particular place or position, often for a specific duty or purpose.
Synonyms: post, place, locate, deploy, position, assign
Antonyms: recall, remove, withdraw, transfer (if implying movement away from an assigned post)
Examples of Use
Books
"They drove through the bustling streets until they reached King's Cross Station, a grand edifice of brick and glass, where a stream of commuters poured forth onto the platforms." (From a novel referencing the famous London train station)
Newspapers
"Police have increased patrols around the city's main bus station following a series of reported thefts." ( The Standard)
"The local fire station held an open day on Saturday, inviting residents to learn about fire safety and meet their local firefighters." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications
"NASA's International Space Station (ISS) continues to be a vital hub for scientific research in microgravity." (Space.com)
"During the live broadcast, the news anchor announced that their television station would be airing a special investigative report later that evening." (CNN.com)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Film: In the movie The Terminal (2004), Tom Hanks' character is forced to live in an airport terminal, which functions as a de facto station for his character.
Television Series: "The detectives returned to the police station to process the evidence and interview the suspect." (From a crime drama series, e.g., Law & Order)
Music: The song "Subterranean Homesick Alien" by Radiohead includes the lyric, "He's an alien / I'm a human / I'm stuck in a railway station." (Released 1997)
Video Games: In the game Fallout 4, players often encounter various "settlement stations" where they can build and manage resources.
Podcasts: "Our next guest is a veteran journalist who has worked at several major radio stations across the country." (From a news commentary podcast)
General Public Discourse
"I'll meet you at the train station around 3 o'clock." (Casual conversation)
"Please station yourselves at the exits and ensure everyone evacuates safely." (Instruction given during a drill or emergency)
"My car broke down, so I had to walk to the nearest petrol station." (Everyday conversation)
"The military will station troops at key checkpoints to maintain order." (News report or public announcement)
10 Quotes Using Station
"The most important station in life is not where you stand, but in what direction you are moving." (Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.)
"Every man has his proper station and its duties, which are the objects of his rights." (Edmund Burke)
"I have been to a good many places, and I have found that I am always at the same station." (Gertrude Stein)
"Our lives are but a station on the way to eternity." (Paramahansa Yogananda)
"A man's true station is not that which he takes, but that which he gives to others." (Henry Ward Beecher)
"There is a destiny that makes us brothers: None goes his way alone: All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own station." (Edwin Markham)
"We have not been placed at this station to do nothing." (Seneca the Younger)
"My station is not in the ranks of the rebels, but among those who guard the Constitution." (Andrew Jackson)
"No one is truly dead until the ripples they create in the world die away, and the last person who remembers them takes their final breath, and that memory, too, fades to nothing. Then, and only then, are they truly gone, and their station in the universe dissolves." (Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man)
"A man's power is his property. And his property is his station." (Malcolm X)
Etymology
The word "station" comes from the Latin word "statio," which originally meant "a standing still," "a post," or "a place where one stands." This Latin root itself comes from the verb "stare," meaning "to stand."
So, you can see how the very first meaning of "station" was all about being in a fixed place. It was used to talk about:
A place where soldiers stood guard (a military post).
A stopping point or a place to stand still along a journey.
Over time, the meaning of "station" expanded from just a military post to include other fixed places where people or things were positioned for a specific purpose. For example, it started being used for:
Public transportation stops (like train stations, where trains "stand still" for passengers).
Buildings for specific services (like a police station or fire station, where officers or firefighters "stand by" or are "posted").
A person's social standing or rank (their "station in life" – where they "stand" in society).
The first known uses of "station" in English, around the 14th century, generally reflected these original Latin meanings, particularly referring to a place of standing or a military post.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Station
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "station":
Station yourself: To take up a position.
Life's station: Referring to one's social standing, position, or circumstances in life.
Calling station: (Less common, but can refer to a place where calls are made or a designated spot for communication.)
Duty station: A specific place where someone is assigned to perform their work or military duties.
Filling station: A place where fuel is sold for vehicles (a gas station).
Police station: A building that serves as the headquarters for police officers.
Fire station: A building where firefighting equipment and firefighters are based.
Train station / Bus station: A place where trains or buses stop for passengers.
Broadcasting station: A facility that transmits radio or television signals.
Way station: A stopping point on a journey, often for rest or resupply.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of station from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
