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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the next 308 days, the men faced starvation and frostbite as Shackleton recruited five crew members to make the treacherous journey in a lifeboat to seek help on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024 But their stint in orbit was extended so that their Dragon spacecraft could serve as an emergency lifeboat for two astronauts who flew to space aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule. Denise Chow, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024 After the ship sank, the men spent five days at sea in lifeboats before reaching Elephant Island. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024 The SpaceX mission was extended to serve as a lifeboat in case the Starliner’s astronauts needed a way off if an emergency happened on the ISS. Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lifeboat 

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 23 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!