lifeboat

[ lahyf-boht ]

/ ˈlaɪfˌboʊt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lifeboat ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a double-ended ship's boat, constructed, mounted, and provisioned so as to be readily able to rescue and maintain persons from a sinking vessel.

a similarly constructed boat used by shore-based rescue services.

Nearby words

life-support, life-support system, life-threatening, lifebelt, lifeblood, lifeboat, lifeboatman, lifecast, lifeful, lifeguard, lifehack

Origin of lifeboat

First recorded in 1795–1805; life + boat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lifeboat

A rising tide lifts all boats…but a lifeboat carrying a few, surrounded by many treading water, risks capsizing.
The Big, Long, 30-Year Conservative Lie|Monica Potts|August 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the pirates sabotage the deal and make off in a lifeboat with Phillips, along with $30,000 in cash.
Tom Hanks on His Riveting Oscar Moment That Ends ‘Captain Phillips’|Marlow Stern|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
After an incredibly suspenseful standoff, the marksmen take out the pirates in the lifeboat, saving Phillips.
Tom Hanks on His Riveting Oscar Moment That Ends ‘Captain Phillips’|Marlow Stern|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Like when Smith and his family managed to crowd onto a lifeboat—which then failed to deploy.
Abandoned Ship: New Book Details Honeymooners’ Costa Concordia Nightmare|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The Countess deftly steered the lifeboat, a resolute and unlikely vision in her ermine and pearls.
The Titanic’s Haute Heroine: The Countess of Rothes|Elizabeth Kaye|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The lifeboat “Leicester,” presented by Mrs. Hodges, launched at Gorleston.
Chronological Retrospect of the History of Yarmouth and Neighbourhood|William Finch-Crisp
To send out the lifeboat upon such a wild-goose chase would be to turn himself into a laughing-stock.
Stella Fregelius|H. Rider Haggard
He backed out of the big ship and consulted the charts of the lifeboat.
The Pirates of Ersatz|Murray Leinster
Some of that canvas will come in handy, remarked Joe, as he pulled a large piece of it from the lifeboat.
Tom Fairfield at Sea|Allen Chapman
And this beneficial influence of our lifeboat service travels far beyond our own shores.
Battles with the Sea|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for lifeboat

lifeboat

/ (ˈlaɪfˌbəʊt) /

noun

a boat, propelled by oars or a motor, used for rescuing people at sea, escaping from a sinking ship, etc

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

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

lifeboat

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of lifeboat

Examples from the Web for lifeboat

British Dictionary definitions for lifeboat

lifeboat

noun