A Station Is a Standing Place
A station is a stopping place, a post, or a position in life. The Latin root simply means standing.
A station is a place where something stands or stops. The Latin *statio* means a standing, from *stare*, to stand, and every sense keeps it: a railway station is where trains stand, a police station is where officers are posted, a radio station holds a fixed frequency, and someone's *station in life* is where they stand socially.
- A stopping place for transport. *The bus station.*
- A place of duty. *A police station.*
- A broadcaster. *A local radio station.*
- Social position (dated). *Above her station.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | station | A quiet station. |
| Plural | stations | Suburban stations. |
| Verb | station | Stationed abroad. |
| Adjective | stationary | A stationary vehicle. |
| Related | stationery | Office stationery. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The train leaves from the main station.Transport.
- He was stationed in Cyprus.Military posting.
- Ideas above his station.An old phrase about social position.
Stationary or stationery?
- Stationary — not moving, with an a
- Stationery — paper and pens, with an e
- Memory aid — stationEry contains Envelope
- Origin — stationers were sellers with a fixed stall, not travelling pedlars
- Station — the shared root of all of them
From Latin *statio*, a standing or post, from *stare*, to stand. The word for writing materials comes from the *stationarius*, a trader with a fixed shop rather than a travelling one.
Stationary or stationery?
Stationary with an a means standing still. Stationery with an e means paper and pens. Envelope has an e, which is the usual reminder.
Why are writing materials called stationery?
Because they were sold by a stationer, a trader with a permanent stall — as opposed to a pedlar who moved about.