life raft

noun

1. a raft, often inflatable, for use in emergencies, as when a ship must be abandoned or when a plane is downed at sea.

life raft

noun

1. a raft for emergency use at sea

Word History and Origins

Origin of life raft¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

In its first-response role, the drone is built to carry and release self-inflating life rafts, allowing people in the water the opportunity to climb aboard and wait for slower rescuers without having to tread water.

From Popular-Science

Some people have survived by climbing aboard roofs and using them as makeshift life rafts.

From Popular-Science

At London’s Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition, Portugal- and UK-based drone company Tekever announced September 14 that its AR5 drone can now carry and deploy self-inflating life rafts to assist in water rescue.

From Popular-Science

In June, for example, a helicopter out of Massachusetts grabbed three people off a life raft after their fishing boat sank near Montauk Point, New York.

From Popular-Science

Mooney quickly inflated his life raft, sent out an SOS signal and drifted for fourteen days before he was rescued.

From The Daily Beast

For now, Clinton is popular, a Democratic icon, and Obama is relying on him for a life raft in the current storm.

From The Daily Beast

His life raft was attacked by sharks and shot at by Japanese aircraft during 47 days adrift at sea.

From The Daily Beast

Let these eight Wordbirds-for-the-Shutdown serve as a linguistic life raft to float you to safe harbor.

From The Daily Beast

But as much as the hurricane has dominated the news, not everyone is in need of a life raft.

From The Daily Beast

Russ pointed to a long lifeboat covered with canvas which lay some distance from the life-raft.

From Project Gutenberg

He had been shot down over the Mediterranean Sea and had floated for several days in his life raft near the coast of Italy.

From Project Gutenberg

I'd have shared my life raft with any poor devil the same as I did with you.

From Project Gutenberg

That shuttle pilot was found in a routine check, stowed away on the life raft.

From Project Gutenberg

The ejection of the life raft must have caused the thump he'd heard before he was cast adrift.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• lifeboat
• rowboat
• skiff