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:
As Navatek sank, Hartman began building himself a lifeboat.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
The story of the lifeboat station at St Abbs started with tragedy.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Berriff founded the Humber Rescue lifeboat charity in his back garden in Hessle, near Hull, in 1989.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
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
I looked about for my family, for survivors, for another lifeboat, for anything that might bring me hope.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
The crews were transported to shore on lifeboats, they said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 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
Some people had jumped down after the lifeboats.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
