26984 words

lifeline

9 definitions • 22 examples
1
something that helps somebody or something in a difficult situation, so that they can continue to live or exist in a satisfactory way:

Examples:

lifeline for These are essential social services that provide a lifeline for the poor, the elderly, and the disabled.
These groups can be a life line for parents of young children.
Following up on this suggestion could be a lifeline for many small businesses struggling with cashflow difficulties.
throw someone/something a lifeline They threw the deputy leader a lifeline by refusing to back calls for her to resign.
provide a lifeline The money they send home provides a lifeline to poor rural families throughout the interior of the country.
2
an important route to a place, or a means of staying in contact with a place:

Examples:

lifeline to Trucks take the earthquake victims down a 20-mile expressway that has become the sole lifeline to the outside world.
Her email has become her lifeline to the world.
The airport is the island's lifeline.
3
a rope that is thrown to someone who is in the water, especially the sea, and is in danger:

Examples:

throw someone a lifeline A man was saved from drowning in the sea off the Norfolk coast yesterday after passing members of the public threw him a lifeline.
They threw him a lifeline, and hauled him up the side of the ship.
The child came close to drowning in the pool because there was no lifeline available.
4
a rope, etc. around the deck of a boat or ship (= the flat area where people can walk), which people can hold on to and which stops them from falling into the water:

Examples:

We replaced the lifelines this year and attached netting to them for extra safety.
The regulations state that older boats smaller than a certain size need only have a single lifeline; others must have two lifelines.
5
a rope, etc. that attaches someone to a boat that they are sailing in, so they do not fall in the water, or that attaches someone to a structure so that they do not fall off:

Examples:

The crew must be trained in how and when to use the lifeline.
Lifelines are a protection system to help guarantee safety at heights for all those workers who are at risk of falling.
6
a rope, etc. that connects a diver (= someone swimming underwater) to the surface:

Examples:

The lifeline connects divers to their teammates on the surface, and allows them to communicate using different techniques.
He was stranded on the seabed for 40 mins when his lifeline snapped.
7
a line on a person's palm (= the inside of their hand) around the bottom of their thumb that some people claim can tell you about the person's life and what their future will be:

Examples:

He stretched out his hand and I looked at his life line. "You're going to be fine," I said.
Lifelines which circle the base of the thumb are said to be typical of individuals who stay close to home.
8
something, esp. a way of getting help, on which you depend:

Examples:

Airplanes are this Alaskan town’s lifeline.
9
something that will help a person, organization, or country to continue to exist or operate in the same way:

Examples:

The government is going to throw a lifeline to the troubled motor industry.
They won what amounted to an economic lifeline that allowed Britain to pay for food, fuel, and other essentials.

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