life raft

American  

noun

1. a raft, often inflatable, for use in emergencies, as when a ship must be abandoned or when a plane is downed at sea.

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life raft British  

noun

1. a raft for emergency use at sea

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Etymology

Origin of life raft

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

life raft

“Go go go go go go! Lower the life raft, and get dressed quickly!” someone shouted in a combination of Chinese and English.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Carlson can sense a sinking ship, and he is jumping into a life raft.

From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026

"In the end, we just held on to the upside-down life raft and floated. We were floating at sea for more than three hours," he said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

Dressing her in new clothes, they placed her on a mattress and steered the makeshift life raft toward medical help.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024

I latched on to it, tightly as a life raft upon a churning ocean.

From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon

Related Words

• lifeboat
• rowboat
• skiff