lifeboat

noun

life·​boat ˈlīf-ˌbōt How to pronounce lifeboat (audio)
: a sturdy buoyant boat (such as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially in saving lives at sea

Examples of lifeboat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The company famously cut down the number of lifeboats to save space, and its workers were poorly trained to fill them in a rescue scenario. Tyler Buchanan, Axios, 1 Aug. 2024 That’s because every station occupant needs a lifeboat at all times. Marcia Dunn, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Aug. 2024 Other distinguished Noels include the creator of Puffin Books, Noel Carrington, American singer-songwriter Noel Paul Stookey, and Countess of Rothes, Noël Leslie, who was famous for helping steer her lifeboat to safety during the Titanic disaster. Meena Azzollini, Parents, 30 July 2024 The men floated on an ice floe and used lifeboats to reach the uninhabited Elephant Island. Shackleton and a few crew members then embarked on a risky trek across hundreds of miles of violent seas to South Georgia island to search for rescuers. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 15 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for lifeboat 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lifeboat.' 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

1797, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifeboat was in 1797

Dictionary Entries Near lifeboat

Cite this Entry

“Lifeboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lifeboat

noun
life·​boat -ˌbōt How to pronounce lifeboat (audio)
: a sturdy boat (as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency and especially for saving lives at sea
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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