Definition

Noun: 1. A device designed to save a person from drowning: A life preserver is a piece of rescue equipment, typically a buoyant belt, jacket, ring, or cushion, that is worn or held to keep a person afloat in water.

Usage

• The primary function of a life preserver is to provide emergency buoyancy. It is a critical safety device used on boats, ships, and near bodies of water.
• It is often used synonymously with "personal flotation device (PFD)" in modern safety terminology, though "life preserver" is a more traditional term.

Examples

• "The captain instructed all passengers to locate their life preserver under their seat."
• "He grabbed the life preserver and threw it to the struggling swimmer."
• "Coast Guard regulations require a wearable life preserver for each person on board."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that provides crucial support or rescue from a difficult situation.
  • Example: "The unexpected grant money was a life preserver for the struggling community theater."

Variants and Related Words

• Personal Flotation Device (PFD): The modern, more technical term encompassing all types of buoyancy aids, including life preservers, life jackets, and buoyancy aids.
• Life Jacket: A specific type of life preserver that is worn like a jacket.
• Life Buoy / Life Ring: A ring-shaped life preserver designed to be thrown to a person in the water.

Synonyms

• Buoyancy aid
• Flotation device
• Life belt (less common)

Related Idioms/Phrases

• To throw someone a life preserver: To provide someone with help to rescue them from a difficult situation (both literal and figurative).
  • Example: "Her mentor threw her a life preserver by offering advice during the crisis."

Noun

1. rescue equipment consisting of a buoyant belt or jacket to keep a person from drowning