breeches buoy
noun Nautical.
a rescue device consisting of a life buoy from which is suspended a canvas sling, similar in form to a pair of breeches, in which shipwrecked or disabled persons are hauled from a vessel to the shore or to another vessel by means of a rope and pulley between them.
Origin of breeches buoy
First recorded in 1875–80
Words nearby breeches buoy
breech-loader,
breech-loading,
breechblock,
breechcloth,
breeches,
breeches buoy,
breeches part,
breeching,
breechless,
breechloader,
breechloading
Example sentences from the Web for breeches buoy
British Dictionary definitions for breeches buoy
breeches buoy
noun
a ring-shaped life buoy with a support in the form of a pair of short breeches, in which a person is suspended for safe transfer from a ship