station
station — noun
1. a building with tracks or bays where trains or buses pull in to let passengers b
a building with tracks or bays where trains or buses pull in to let passengers board and alight
Yumi waited for her mother at the train station for almost half an hour.
preposition: at the station
Asher bought a ticket at the station and caught the next train to London.
The bus station in the town centre has a small café and a ticket office.
compound noun: bus station / train station
Walid got off at the wrong station and had to wait for the next train.
Thousands of passengers pass through the main station during the morning rush hour.
collocation: main station
- train station
- bus station
- underground station
- main station
- at the station
- arrive at the station
- leave the station
- meet someone at the station
- stop
a place on a bus route where the vehicle picks up or drops off passengers, often just a sign on the road rather than a building
- depot
a building where buses or trains are stored or repaired, or a small station building; more technical than 'station'
- terminal
the end point of a transport route, usually a large building where passengers begin or end their journey
Grammar Patterns
station for buses/trains (noun)
at a/the station
noun + station (train station / bus station)
Common Mistakes
2. an organisation that creates and sends out radio shows or TV programmes to the p
an organisation that creates and sends out radio shows or TV programmes to the public
Samir works as a news reporter for a local radio station in Chicago.
collocation: local radio station
Sade listens to the same music station every morning on her way to school.
The television station cancelled the morning show after only one season.
collocation: television station
Trang's favourite radio station plays mostly jazz and classical music late at night.
Several local radio stations joined together to raise money for the children's hospital.
plural: stations
- radio station
- television station
- TV station
- local station
- music station
- news station
- change the station
- tune in to a station
Grammar Patterns
radio station
television station / TV station
station + verb (broadcasts / plays / airs)
Common Mistakes
3. a set of rooms or an outdoor area where the public can receive a specific servic
a set of rooms or an outdoor area where the public can receive a specific service, for example from the police or a fire crew, or at a fuel pump
João stopped at the petrol station to fill up his car before the long trip.
compound noun: petrol station
The police station is about two blocks away from the public library in our town.
Ezra volunteered at the fire station every Saturday morning for three full months.
compound noun: fire station
Nikos took his car to the service station because the engine was making a strange noise.
There is a first-aid station at the halfway point of the marathon for injured runners.
compound: first-aid station
- police station
- fire station
- petrol station
- gas station
- service station
- first-aid station
- polling station
- at the station
Grammar Patterns
noun + station (police station / fire station / petrol station)
Usage Note
Common in compound nouns: police station, fire station, petrol/gas station, service station, aid station, polling station. The specific meaning depends on the first word of the compound.
Common Mistakes
4. a place with equipment and facilities where scientists observe nature, study the
a place with equipment and facilities where scientists observe nature, study the environment, or conduct experiments
Christopher spent the summer at a research station in the Arctic studying sea ice.
compound noun: research station
Scientists at the weather station recorded the highest temperature in twenty years.
compound: weather station
The marine biology station on the coast monitors the health of nearby coral reefs.
A field station near the jungle collects data on rare bird species each season.
- research station
- weather station
- field station
- marine station
- space station
- scientific station
- laboratory
a room or building for scientific experiments, usually indoors; more controlled environment than a station
- observatory
a station specifically for watching the stars, weather, or natural events; implies long-range observation
Grammar Patterns
research station
weather station
field station
station + for + noun (station for studying birds)
Usage Note
Often used as part of a compound noun where the first word specifies the field of study: research station, weather station, field station, space station.
5. a very large farm for sheep or cattle, of the kind found on the Australian outba
a very large farm for sheep or cattle, of the kind found on the Australian outback and across New Zealand grassland
Sahil visited a sheep station in New Zealand during his summer holiday.
regional: sheep station (Australia/NZ)
The cattle station covers a huge area of land in the Australian outback.
regional: cattle station
Kabir grew up on a remote station in Queensland and learned to ride horses at age five.
Drought forced the family to sell their station and move to the nearest coastal town.
- sheep station
- cattle station
- remote station
- work on a station
- run a station
Grammar Patterns
sheep station
cattle station
station + in/on + location
Usage Note
Used mainly in Australian and New Zealand English. The equivalent in other English-speaking countries is usually 'ranch' (for cattle) or 'farm' (for sheep).
Common Mistakes
6. a particular position where a person, especially a guard or soldier, must stay a
a particular position where a person, especially a guard or soldier, must stay and be ready to carry out their duty
Brian stood at his station by the main gate for the entire eight-hour shift.
possessive: his station
The night guard remained at his station all night, watching the warehouse entrance.
Each soldier ran to their assigned station when the alarm sounded just before dawn.
collocation: assigned station
The security guard was told to take up his station near the emergency exit door.
collocation: take up [one's] station
- at one's station
- assigned station
- take up one's station
- man a station
- abandon one's station
- guard station
Grammar Patterns
[possessive] + station
take up [one's] station
at [one's] station
man a station
Usage Note
Often used with possessives (his station, my station) and with the verb phrase 'take up one's station'. Common in military and security contexts.
7. a person's rank or level within a community, typically determined by the family
a person's rank or level within a community, typically determined by the family they come from at birth
Henry married a woman of higher station, which surprised many of his old friends.
phrase: of higher station
In some traditional societies, a person's station in life is fixed from the moment of birth.
idiom: station in life
People from every station in life came together to rebuild the town after the great flood.
Lotte's family was of low station, which made it hard for her to get into the best schools.
collocation: low station / high station
- station in life
- of high station
- of low station
- all stations
- above one's station
- know one's station
- rank
a position within a hierarchy, especially military or formal; more about official grading than social birth
- class
a division of society based on economic or social status; broader and more commonly used today
- standing
a person's social or professional reputation; can change over time, whereas 'station' is more fixed
Grammar Patterns
[one's] station in life
of high/low station
people of all stations
Usage Note
Considered somewhat old-fashioned in modern English. It is most commonly found in fixed phrases such as 'station in life' and 'people of all stations'. The modern equivalent is usually 'social class' or 'background'.
Common Mistakes
panic stations
idiomA time when everyone is very worried and busy because something urgent needs to be done quickly.
When the fire alarm rang, it was panic stations in the office.
Maya called it panic stations when the cake fell apart before the party.
station — verb
1. to place a person, especially a soldier or guard, in a particular location to pe
to place a person, especially a soldier or guard, in a particular location to perform a duty or job
The army stationed five hundred soldiers near the border during the cold winter months.
transitive: station [soldiers] at [place]
The nurse was stationed at a small clinic in a remote village for two years.
passive: be stationed at [place]
The company stationed him in Singapore for the duration of the entire project.
The general decided to station extra troops at the main checkpoint near the city.
- station troops
- station guards
- station staff
- be stationed at
- be stationed in
- be stationed overseas
- post
to assign someone to a particular place or job; more specific to military and guard duties
- assign
to give someone a particular task or position; broader in application and not limited to physical placement
- deploy
to move troops or resources into position for action; implies strategic purpose and often temporary placement
- withdraw
to pull troops or personnel back from a stationed position
Grammar Patterns
station + noun + preposition + noun (station troops at a base)
be stationed + preposition + noun (be stationed in Germany)
station + noun + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive voice: be stationed at/in/on. The subject is typically an organisation (army, company, government) rather than an individual.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- workstationnounB1
- stationmasternounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words refer to places where passengers board or leave vehicles, but they differ in scale, function, and typical use. A 'station' is a permanent building with platforms where trains, buses, or underground trains regularly stop — it implies a manned facility with services such as ticket offices and waiting areas. A 'stop' is much simpler: it can be just a sign at the side of the road where a bus pulls over. Many bus stops have no building at all. A 'terminal' is the end point of a route, often a large station where journeys begin or end, such as Grand Central Terminal in New York or a bus terminal at an airport. A 'depot' is primarily a place where vehicles are stored, cleaned, or repaired, though in some regions it may also serve as a small station. For example: 'I'll meet you at the bus stop outside the supermarket' (a simple stopping point), versus 'The train arrives at Paddington Station at 9 pm' (a major building with facilities).
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'station' comes from Latin 'statio', meaning a standing place or post, from the verb 'stare' (to stand). It passed into Old French as 'estation' and then into Middle English. The sense of 'a stopping place for transport' dates back to the early days of stagecoach routes, and the meaning later expanded to include railway stops in the 1830s. The verb sense 'to assign to a post' developed from military usage in the 16th century. The social-rank meaning comes from the idea of being 'stationed' or fixed in a particular position in society.