at the ready
Available for use at any time. My sister could go into labor any day now, so I have my phone constantly at the ready. The volunteers descended on the garden, their shovels at the ready. Our troops are standing at the ready—we're just awaiting your signal, captain.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
at the ready
Available for immediate use, as in Umbrellas at the ready, we were prepared to brave the storm. This idiom was originally a military term in which the ready denoted the position of a firearm prepared to be raised and aimed or fired. [First half of 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
at the ˈready
prepared for immediate action or use: Cameras and microphones at the ready, they waited for the new President to appear.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
at the ready
Available for immediate use: soldiers with machine guns at the ready; students with notebooks at the ready.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.