life buoy

noun

: a ring-shaped life preserver

Examples of life buoy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Senate Bill 424 calls for public and private-owned piers and beach drop-offs to be outfitted with at least one ring life buoy. Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2023 For an immigrant in a new country, telling one’s story might feel like a life buoy; for a formerly enslaved person, legibility was a matter of life and death. New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'life buoy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of life buoy was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near life buoy

Cite this Entry

“Life buoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/life%20buoy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

life buoy

noun
: a ring-shaped life preserver
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