safety
the state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, or loss.
the quality of averting or not causing injury, danger, or loss.
a contrivance or device to prevent injury or avert danger.
Also called lock, safety catch, safety lock. a locking or cutoff device that prevents a gun from being fired accidentally.
the action of keeping safe.
Football.
an act or play in which a player on the offensive team is tackled in his own end zone or downs the ball there, or in which the ball goes out of bounds on a fumble, having last been in bounds in or over the end zone and having last been in the possession of an offensive player.: Compare touchback.
an award of two points to the opposing team on this play.
Also called safety man. a player on defense who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage.
Baseball. a base hit, especially a one-base hit.
Slang. a condom.
Obsolete. close confinement or custody.
Origin of safety
1Other words from safety
- self-safety, noun
- su·per·safe·ty, noun
Words Nearby safety
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use safety in a sentence
The unidentified employee asked whether the rating of the system’s risks should be raised, which may have prompted a more thorough safety review.
Boeing crashes were the “horrific culmination” of multiple mistakes, House report says | kdunn6 | September 16, 2020 | FortuneWhile the active pharmaceutical ingredient remains the same, excipients may be different, and even seemingly slight differences can significantly impact patient safety.
The ‘inactive' ingredients in your pills could harm you | By Yelena Ionova/The Conversation | September 15, 2020 | Popular-ScienceCustomers are given about 48 hours’ notice, at the most, that their power will be cut — known as a public safety power shutoff.
Environment Report: State Throws Cold Water on Pricing Scheme | MacKenzie Elmer | September 14, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoMilton claimed the parts had been taken out of the truck for safety reasons.
Nikola stock craters after chairman fails to rebut fraud allegations | Timothy B. Lee | September 11, 2020 | Ars TechnicaHe said this was especially true for vaccines, which are tested on healthy people, and therefore have a higher safety threshold for adverse side effects than medicines that are designed to treat people who are already ill.
COVID-19 vaccine still on track for later this year despite trial pause, AstraZeneca CEO says | Jeremy Kahn | September 10, 2020 | Fortune
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
“This is the only place in the souk you can buy safety pins,” he said.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech | Liza Foreman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe accident rate in Asia has marred what was in 2014 a banner year for aviation safety.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501 | Clive Irving | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNot for the benefit of the harasser, of course, but for your own safety.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism | Arthur Chu | January 3, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThere was virtually no government oversight of safety and operational standards.
To Berthier, if to any one, Bonaparte entrusted his secret designs, for he knew that he could do so in safety.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonThese residents then killed the parish priest, and without arms fled for safety to the mountain ravines.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanJuan de Messa lost his head, and ran down stairs, thinking that his safety lay there.
In short, in a few minutes, he might have the safety of his father, and the preservation of Europe in his hand.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterIn that instant I felt fingers tighten on my arm, tighten till they bit into the flesh, and I was pulled back into safety.
Uncanny Tales | Various
British Dictionary definitions for safety
/ (ˈseɪftɪ) /
the quality of being safe
freedom from danger or risk of injury
a contrivance or device designed to prevent injury
American football
Also called: safetyman either of two players who defend the area furthest back in the field
a play in which the offensive team causes the ball to cross its own goal line and then grounds the ball behind that line, scoring two points for the opposing team: Compare touchback
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
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