safety: Meaning and Definition of

safe•ty

Pronunciation: (sāf'tē), [key]
— pl. -ties.
  1. the state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, or loss.
  2. the quality of averting or not causing injury, danger, or loss.
  3. a contrivance or device to prevent injury or avert danger.
  4. Also calleda locking or cutoff device that prevents a gun from being fired accidentally.
  5. the action of keeping safe.
    1. an act or play in which a player on the offensive team is tackled in his own end zone or downs the ball there, or in which the ball goes out of bounds on a fumble, having last been in bounds in or over the end zone and having last been in the possession of an offensive player. Cf.touchback.
    2. an award of two points to the opposing team on this play.
    3. Also calledsafety man.a player on defense who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage.
  6. a base hit, esp. a one-base hit.
  7. a condom.
  8. close confinement or custody.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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