buoy

American  

[boo-ee, boi] / ˈbu i, bɔɪ /

noun

buoys plural

1. Nautical. a distinctively shaped and marked float, sometimes carrying a signal or signals, anchored to mark a channel, anchorage, navigational hazard, etc., or to provide a mooring place away from the shore.

2. a life buoy.

---

verb (used with object)

buoys, present (3rd person singular) buoyed, past participle, past buoying present participle

1. to keep afloat or support by or as if by a life buoy; keep from sinking (often followed byup ).

   The life jacket buoyed her up until help arrived.

2. Nautical. to mark with a buoy or buoys.

3. to sustain or encourage (often followed byup ).

   Her courage was buoyed by the doctor's assurances.

   Synonyms:

   nurture, maintain, lighten, boost, uplift, lift

verb (used without object)

buoys, present (3rd person singular) buoyed, past participle, past buoying present participle

1. to float or rise by reason of lightness.

buoy British  

/ ˈbuːɪ, bɔɪ /

noun

1. a distinctively shaped and coloured float, anchored to the bottom, for designating moorings, navigable channels, or obstructions in a body of water See also life buoy

---

verb

1. to prevent from sinking

   the belt buoyed him up

2. to raise the spirits of; hearten

3. (tr) nautical to mark (a channel or obstruction) with a buoy or buoys

4. (intr) to rise to the surface

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• buoys
  plural

Participles

• buoying
  present
• buoyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• buoy
  simple
• buoys
  simple
• have buoyed
  perfect
• has buoyed
  perfect
• am buoying
  progressive
• are buoying
  progressive
• is buoying
  progressive
• have been buoying
  perfect progressive
• has been buoying
  perfect progressive

Past

• buoyed
  simple
• had buoyed
  perfect
• was buoying
  progressive
• were buoying
  progressive
• had been buoying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will buoy
  simple
• will have buoyed
  perfect
• will be buoying
  progressive
• will have been buoying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of buoy

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English boye “a float,” from unattested Middle French boie, boue(e), from Germanic; akin to beacon

Explanation

A buoy is a floating marker that indicates the presence of underwater hazards, channels, or places for tying up boats. When buoy is a verb, it can mean to float like a buoy, literally or figuratively. Winning an award could buoy your spirits as if you are floating with pride. The verb buoy can mean "boost or increase." There aren't many things that will buoy your confidence as much as repeated compliments on how great your new haircut looks. Imagine seeing water buoy up an enormous swan, or the wind buoy up a kite. A more figurative meaning of buoy is to cheer or lift someone's spirits. One way to remember buoy's unusual spelling is the phrase, "Boats usually opt to steer around a buoy."

Example Sentences

Meanwhile a costumed mascot, Buoy the troll, had Twitter howling.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2023

Buoy was introduced during a preseason Kraken game and a huge push followed to stir up intrigue and endear him to the fan base.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 22, 2023

“This is the most significant change the array has undergone,” says Karen Grissom, an oceanographer at NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center, which runs TAO.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 28, 2023

For younger fans, the new Kraken mascot, Buoy, appears to be a hit as well.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 23, 2022

At the age of nearly seventy he had been round the Ness Buoy and home again—a wonderful performance if, in addition to his age, you remember the dangerous set of the currents thereabouts.'

From George Borrow and His Circle Wherein May Be Found Many Hitherto Unpublished Letters Of Borrow And His Friends by Shorter, Clement King

Related Words

• beacon