safety

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a safe place

   They ran to safety.

2. 2
   noun

   the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

   insure the safety of the children

3. 3
   noun

   The condition or feeling of being safe; security; certainty.

   If you push it to the limit, safety is not guaranteed.

4. 4
   noun

   A safety lock or safety catch: a mechanism on a weapon or dangerous equipment designed to prevent accidental firing or operation.

   Be sure that the safety is set before proceeding.

5. 5
   noun

   Preservation from escape; close custody.

   […] imprison him, […] / Deliver him to safety; and return,

6. 6
   noun

   An instance of a player being sacked or tackled in the end zone, or stepping out of the end zone and off the field, resulting in two points to the opposite team.

   He sacked the quarterback in the end zone for a safety.

7. 7
   noun

   Any of the defensive players who are in position furthest from the line of scrimmage and whose responsibility is to defend against passes as well as to be the tacklers of last resort.

   The free safety made a game-saving tackle on the runner who had broken past the linebackers.

8. 8
   noun

   A safety squeeze.

   Boy wondered about that bunt. He had a notion Fowler would commit himself soon because time was on the go. But Fowler didn’t, making it another sweep of three Pirates. He had thus far given up only two safeties.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English savete, from Old French sauveté, from earlier salvetet, from Medieval Latin salvitās, salvitātem, from Latin salvus.