buoy: Meaning and Definition of

bu•oy

Pronunciation: (b'ē, boi), [key]
— n.
  1. a distinctively shaped and marked float, sometimes carrying a signal or signals, anchored to mark a channel, anchorage, navigational hazard, etc., or to provide a mooring place away from the shore.
  2. a life buoy.
—v.t.
  1. to keep afloat or support by or as if by a life buoy; keep from sinking (often fol. by up): The life jacket buoyed her up until help arrived.
  2. to mark with a buoy or buoys.
  3. to sustain or encourage (often fol. by up): Her courage was buoyed by the doctor's assurances.
—v.i.
  1. to float or rise by reason of lightness.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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