qui vive

qui vive

Q0040000 (kē vēv′)n. A sentry's challenge.Idiom: on the qui vive On the alert; vigilant: "a loathsome Dublin politico who is on the qui vive for ... terrorists" (Julian Moynahan).

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[French, (long) live who? (a sentry's challenge to determine a person's political sympathies) : qui, who + vive, third person sing. present subjunctive of vivre, to live.]

qui vive

(ˌkiː ˈviːv) non the qui vive on the alert; attentive[C18: from French, literally: long live who?, sentry's challenge (equivalent to "To whose party do you belong?" or "Whose side do you support?")]

qui vive

(ki ˈviv) 1. (italics) French. who goes there? n. 2. on the qui vive, on the alert; watchful. Idiom. [1720–30; < French]

qui vive

A French phrase meaning long live who? (a sentry’s challenge), used to mean a state of alertness or watchfulness.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

qui vive - condition of heightened watchfulness or preparation for action; "bombers were put on alert during the crisis"alertpreparedness, readiness, preparation - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them in readiness"; "their preparation was more than adequate"air alert - the condition in which combat aircraft are airborne and ready for an operation; "aircraft in the Mideast are on air alert"red alert - the highest level of alert when an attack by the enemy seems imminent (or more generally a state of alert resulting from imminent danger)strip alert - a state of readiness for domestic defense aircraft; "the Air Force will keep fighters on strip alert at bases around the country"

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