rescue

res·cue

verb \ˈres-(ˌ)kyü\

res·cuedres·cu·ing

Definition of RESCUE

transitive verb

: to free from confinement, danger, or evil : save, deliver: as a : to take (as a prisoner) forcibly from custody b : to recover (as a prize) by force c : to deliver (as a place under siege) by armed force

— res·cu·able \-ə-bəl\ adjective

— rescue noun

— res·cu·er noun

Examples of RESCUE

1. The survivors were rescued by the Coast Guard.
2. <an all-out effort to rescue a beached whale>

Origin of RESCUE

Middle English rescouen, rescuen, from Anglo-French rescure, from re- + escure to shake off, from Latin excutere, from ex- + quatere to shake

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to RESCUE

Synonyms: bail out, bring off, deliver, save

Antonyms: adventure, compromise, endanger, gamble (with), hazard, imperil, jeopardize, peril, risk, venture

Related Words: salvage; emancipate, free, liberate, manumit, release; disentangle, extricate; recover

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Synonym Discussion of RESCUE

rescue, deliver, redeem, ransom, reclaim, save mean to set free from confinement or danger. rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action <rescued the crew of a sinking ship>. deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering <delivered his people from bondage>. redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary <job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment>. ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity <tried to ransom the kidnap victim>. reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased <reclaimed long-abandoned farms>. save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence <an operation that saved my life>.