life-support
[ lahyf-suh-pawrt, -pohrt ]
/ ˈlaɪf səˌpɔrt, -ˌpoʊrt /
adjective
of or relating to equipment or measures that sustain or artificially substitute for essential body functions, as breathing or disposal of body wastes: Without life-support equipment, the patient might die.
of or relating to equipment or measures that provide, within a surrounding hostile environment, as outer space or ocean depths, a life-sustaining environment similar to that found on the earth's surface: the life-support system of a spacecraft or submarine.
of or relating to anything that fosters or sustains life, success, or continued existence, as of a person, thing, or nation: the life-support system of the economy.
Origin of life-support
First recorded in 1955–60
Words nearby life-support
life-giving,
life-or-death,
life-saver,
life-saving,
life-size,
life-support,
life-support system,
life-threatening,
lifeblood,
lifeboat,
lifeboatman
Example sentences from the Web for life-support
This may mean a peace process on life-support, but that's better than a peace process that's dead.
The list of sudden shocks that could put crippled economies on life-support is long.
British Dictionary definitions for life-support
life-support
adjective
of or providing the equipment required to sustain human life in an unnatural environment, such as in space, or in severe illness or disability