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:
Two boys were loaded onto a lifeboat with one, aged 7, airlifted to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ian Foster, from the lifeboat station, said the crew were "delighted" to be a small part of the wedding.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
In a time of distress, like a recession, “there’s a pecking order to who gets in the lifeboat first,” Ed Al-Hussainy, portfolio manager at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, told Barron’s late last year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Andy, helm of the inshore lifeboat, said Marley and Dai had done "exactly the right things" by wearing life jackets, staying with the kayak and calling for help.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
I beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
The ship was equipped with 250 life jackets, two lifeboats and six inflatable rafts, Edghill said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 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
“I think if you have a job, it feels like you’ve got one of the lifeboats on the Titanic, and you’re not willing to give up the seat,” Alper said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2025
A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2025
The Tsimtsum had had a number of lifeboats.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
