buoy

Everyday

1. A floating object in the sea or a river, fixed in place, that marks a safe path, a danger, or where to stop. tree →
2. A life buoy: a ring that floats, thrown to someone in the water. tree →
3. (verb) To keep something afloat. tree →
4. (verb) Buoy up: to make someone feel more cheerful or hopeful. tree →

In the lessons

In safety and beach lessons, swim between the flags and stay away from buoys marking boat lanes; throw a life buoy to someone in trouble, don't jump in. In science, buoys float because of buoyancy. In everyday talk, good news buoys people up. Phrases: life buoy, buoyed up, marker buoy.

Examples

• A red buoy marked the rocks. tree →
• Throw the life buoy to the swimmer! tree →
• The boats tied up to the buoys in the harbour. tree →
• The good news buoyed everyone's spirits. tree →
• The buoy bobbed up and down on the waves. tree →
• Swimmers must stay inside the yellow buoys. tree →
• The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water. tree →

Note

Pronounced BOY in the UK and BOO-ee in the US. Same sound as boy in UK English, a homophone. Adjective buoyant; noun buoyancy (the upward push of water).