Dictionary.com

buoy

[ boo-ee, boi ]
/ ˈbu i, bɔɪ /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: buoy / buoyed on Thesaurus.com
noun
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.
a life buoy.
verb (used with object)
to keep afloat or support by or as if by a life buoy; keep from sinking (often followed by up): The life jacket buoyed her up until help arrived.
Nautical. to mark with a buoy or buoys.
to sustain or encourage (often followed by up): Her courage was buoyed by the doctor's assurances.
verb (used without object)
to float or rise by reason of lightness.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH buoy

boy, buoy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to buoy

beacon, drift, float, guide, marker, signal

How to use buoy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for buoy

buoy
/ (bɔɪ, US ˈbuːɪ) /
noun
a distinctively shaped and coloured float, anchored to the bottom, for designating moorings, navigable channels, or obstructions in a body of waterSee also life buoy
verb
(tr usually foll by up) to prevent from sinkingthe belt buoyed him up
(tr usually foll by up) to raise the spirits of; hearten
(tr) nautical to mark (a channel or obstruction) with a buoy or buoys
(intr) to rise to the surface

Word Origin for buoy

C13: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch boeie, boeye; see beacon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK