safety catch
a device used in mechanisms, as for elevators, to prevent falling in the event of mechanical failure.
Origin of safety catch
1Words Nearby safety catch
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use safety catch in a sentence
No, recess appointments are a vital safety-catch to allow government to function.
Obama Will Lose Recess Appointment Case, but Will Other Presidents Lose Their Power? | Andrew Cohen | January 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was surprised: after all, the safety catch, he assured us, was on.
Remembering Dmitri Nabokov, the Novelist’s Son and Literary Executor | Brian Boyd | May 10, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTSo I slipped down the safety catch on my automatic and stood ready to save Moze or myself.
Tales of lonely trails | Zane GreyWhen it is necessary to descend, a pull on the trip-rope releases a safety-catch and the saddle goes down.
Careers of Danger and Daring | Cleveland MoffettYou slip back the safety catch and press this button, taking aim as one did with the pistol.
The doctor turned with a howl of rage, snatched up the pistol which lay on the table, and thumbed down the safety-catch.
The Green Rust | Edgar WallaceWe heard a click as the safety catch on the man's rifle lock was thrown off and the weapon made ready to discharge.
"And they thought we wouldn't fight" | Floyd Gibbons
British Dictionary definitions for safety catch
a device to prevent the accidental operation of a mechanism, e.g. in a firearm or lift
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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