safety

¹safe·ty

noun \ˈsāf-tē\

plural safeties

Definition of SAFETY

1

: the condition of being safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury, or loss

2

: a device (as on a weapon or a machine) designed to prevent inadvertent or hazardous operation

3

a (1) : a situation in football in which a member of the offensive team is tackled behind its own goal line that counts two points for the defensive team — compare touchback (2) : a member of a defensive backfield in football who occupies the deepest position in order to receive a kick, defend against a forward pass, or stop a ballcarrier

b : a billiard shot made with no attempt to score or so as to leave the balls in an unfavorable position for the opponent

c : base hit

Examples of SAFETY

1. The changes were made in the interest of public safety.
2. He made some suggestions about how to improve airline safety.
3. I'm worried about the safety of the people who were left behind.
4. We were reluctant to leave the relative safety of our hotel.
5. She was only a mile from the safety of her home when the accident occurred.
6. The car has been redesigned for improved safety.
7. The toys are inspected for safety.
8. They were led to safety by the rescuers.
9. The injured hiker was finally able to reach safety.

Origin of SAFETY

Middle English saufte, from Anglo-French salveté, saufté, from salf safe

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SAFETY

Synonyms

protection, safeness, security

Antonyms

danger, distress, endangerment, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, trouble

Related Words

aegis (also egis), cover, defense, guardianship, ward; guard, safeguard, screen, shield; asylum, harbor, haven, refuge, retreat, shelter; impregnability, impregnableness, invincibility, invincibleness, inviolability, inviolableness, invulnerability, invulnerableness

Near Antonyms

hazard, risk, threat; instability, precariousness; harm's way; exposure, liability, openness, violability, vulnerability, vulnerableness; susceptibility, susceptibleness

Other Baseball Terms

alley, cleanup, nightcap, save, shag

²safety

transitive verb

safe·tiedsafe·ty·ing

Definition of SAFETY

: to protect against failure, breakage, or accident <safety a rifle>

First Known Use of SAFETY

1927

safety

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Activities that seek to minimize or to eliminate hazardous conditions that can cause bodily injury. Occupational safety is concerned with risks in areas where people work: offices, manufacturing plants, farms, construction sites, and commercial and retail facilities. Public safety is concerned with hazards in the home, in travel and recreation, and in other situations that do not fall within the scope of occupational safety.