noun
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a boat, propelled by oars or a motor, used for rescuing people at sea, escaping from a sinking ship, etc
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informal a fund set up by the dealers in a market to rescue any member who may become insolvent as a result of a collapse in market prices
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lifeboat
Explanation
A lifeboat is a small boat that's kept on a bigger ship in case of emergency. It’s much more fun than a deathboat. Large ships usually have enough lifeboats for every passenger on board. Hear that, Titanic? When the giant ship Titanic sank, there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone. If you’re on a ship that’s going down, a lifeboat (one word) could save your life. Some lifeboats are made of hard materials like fiberglass, while others are inflatable. Another kind of lifeboat is launched from shore or a Coast Guard ship to rescue people who need help at sea, if, for example, they're on a sinking fishing boat.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But under Steinem’s editorship, which lasted until the sale of the magazine in 1987, it became both a beacon and a lifeboat for many contemporary women—a centerpiece of feminism’s second wave.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Hussam El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayan, 37, and their daughter Sara El-Khawas, 13, were pronounced dead after being brought to shore by lifeboat crews on 18 August.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
"We spotted life buoys and a lifeboat but it was empty. Unfortunately, no survivors have been found so far," he said, indicating that search and rescue operations were ongoing.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
"Life-saving equipment, including a lifeboat belonging to the Tugberk Imamoglu which had 10 crew members on board, has been found at sea. Unfortunately, the crew members were not inside," it said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
It was when I looked up at a lifeboat on the bridge castle that I started to worry.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
The ship was equipped with 250 life jackets, two lifeboats and six inflatable rafts, Edghill said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
A seat cushion from one of the Titanic's lifeboats was sold at the same auction for £390,000.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
They lower themselves into one of the few lifeboats, leaving Jim on deck: Should he flee like a rat or wake the sleeping passengers, knowing that they, and he, cannot survive?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
Here are some of our favorite lifeboats during a year of rough seas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2025
Inside one of the lifeboats, Desdemona was saying, “Don’t look.”
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
