Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Station has 9 different meanings across 2 categories:
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
"he started looking for a gas station"
"the train pulled into the station"
(nautical) the location to which a ship or fleet is assigned for duty
"The entire fleet was ordered to return to their winter station before the storm season began."
the frequency assigned to a broadcasting station
"The radio kept looping through static until I finally found the right station on 98.5 FM."
A stopping place.
"The train made its final stop at the station before heading back to the city."
A regular stopping place for ground transportation.
"We missed our train because we were running late to get off at the next station."
In plain English: A station is a specific place where trains stop to let people get on and off.
"The train arrived at the main station and waited for passengers to board."
To put in place to perform a task.
"The crew had to station themselves at every window of the burning building before attempting to rescue anyone."
In plain English: To station means to put someone or something in a specific place so they stay there.
"The train finally began to station itself before the crowded platform."
Usage: Use this verb when positioning equipment or personnel at a specific location to begin work, such as stationing guards outside the building. It is often confused with similar terms like "post," but emphasize that it involves setting up for an ongoing duty rather than just assigning a role.
The word "station" comes from the Latin statio, which originally meant a standing place or post. It entered Middle English through Anglo-Norman before evolving into its modern sense of a fixed location for work or travel.