Definition

Noun: 1. A line on the palm of the hand: In palmistry, a crease on the palm that is believed to indicate the length or quality of a person's life. 2. A vital link for support or communication: A critically important means of connection or sustenance, often in a difficult or dangerous situation.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Palmistry):
  • The fortune teller examined the lifeline on my palm.
  • Her lifeline is long and deep, which is supposed to be a good sign.
• Noun (Vital Link):
  • For the isolated village, the single road was its economic lifeline.
  • The radio was the crew's only lifeline to the outside world during the storm.

Advanced Usage

• "to throw someone a lifeline": To provide someone with help that saves them from a difficult situation.
  • The new contract threw the struggling company a much-needed lifeline.

Variants and Related Words

• Life-support (n): Medical equipment that performs the function of vital organs.
  • The patient was on life-support after the accident.
• Lifesaver (n): A thing that saves one from serious difficulty.
  • That loan was a real lifesaver for me.

Synonyms

• Mainstay: A chief support.
• Link: A relationship or connection.

Related Phrases

• A matter of life and death: An issue of critical importance.
  • Getting the medicine to them is a matter of life and death.

Noun

1. a crease on the palm; its length is said by palmists to indicate how long you will live