life preserver
Americannoun
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a buoyant jacket, belt, or other like device for keeping a person afloat.
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British Slang. a weapon, especially a short stick with a weighted head; blackjack.
noun
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a club or bludgeon, esp one kept for self-defence
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a life belt or life jacket
Etymology
Origin of life preserver
First recorded in 1630–40
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.
I let myself play the victim twice — first of the debt itself, then of the life preserver tossed to bring me back onboard.
From Salon ● May 11, 2025
If Dopamine, with its low, labor-of-love operating costs, proves economically sustainable, it could be a life preserver in a perfect storm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2023
Standing next to the wreckage on the beach, a reporter for Italian RAI state TV noted a life preserver bearing the word “Smyrna,” a Turkish port also known as Izmir.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 26, 2023
What’s the likelihood of those owners giving Skipper Dan a financial life preserver with new investors?
From Washington Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
What with her being my mom’s best friend, you’d think she was maybe spying for my parents, but more often, her presence was like wearing a life preserver.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
