water-wings

A child wears bright orange water-wings while splashing in a shallow pool.

Definition

1. Noun (plural):
   • Flotation devices: "water-wings" refers to inflatable or buoyant aids worn on the arms, typically by children, to help them stay afloat while learning to swim. They are usually made of plastic or rubber and filled with air.

Usage Examples

• Noun (plural):
  • The toddler wore bright orange water-wings to stay safe in the pool. (Buoyant arm bands used for swimming practice.)
  • Parents should always supervise children using water-wings, as they are not a substitute for life jackets. (Flotation aids for beginners.)

Advanced Usage

• "to rely on water-wings": to depend on an external support or crutch for a task.
  • He still uses training wheels on his bike; it’s like relying on water-wings for cycling. (Metaphorically, a temporary aid that prevents full independence.)

Variants and Related Words

• Water-wing (singular, rare): a single such flotation device.
  • She lost one water-wing in the pool. (One of the pair of arm floats.)

Synonyms

• Floaties: a common informal term for inflatable arm bands.
• Swim wings: another name for the same device.
• Arm bands: inflatable rings worn on the upper arms for buoyancy.

Related Idioms

• "take off the water-wings": to stop using a support or crutch and begin doing something independently.
  • After a few lessons, it was time to take off the water-wings and swim alone. (Remove the aid and proceed without assistance.)

Usage Notes

• "Water-wings" is always used in the plural form, even when referring to a single pair. It is not typically used in the singular ("water-wing") except in rare technical contexts. The term is primarily associated with children's swimming aids and is less common for adult flotation devices.