holding pattern
noun [ C ] uk/ˈhəʊl.dɪŋ ˌpæt.ən/ us/ˈhoʊl.dɪŋ ˌpæt̬.ɚn/
等待航线，待命航线
a route followed by a plane above an airport while it waits to land
We were kept in a holding pattern for 45 minutes at Heathrow. 我们在希思罗机场附近盘旋了45分钟。
in a holding pattern 等待；待命
temporarily unable to act because you are waiting for something to happen or be decided
We're in a holding pattern while we wait for City Council approval. 在市政局批准之前我们只有等待。
The games were in a holding pattern because of the bad weather.
I want to expand the business but I fear the economic situation is going to put everything in a holding pattern for a while.
Sometimes contract work puts people in a holding pattern until they can find a job.
Until we get the go-ahead for development, we're kind of in a holding pattern.