safety

SAYF-tee/ˈseɪfti/

Pluralsafeties (some meanings)

10 meanings of safety

1
securitynoununcountable
Being or feeling protected from harm, danger, or loss.
Like a seatbelt that keeps you protected while you ride.
Wearing a helmet is important for your safety on a bike.
The children felt a real sense of safety at home.
UsageSay get to safety or reach safety, and for your safety.
Similarsecurity, protection, welfare, well-being
Oppositedanger
2
defensive backnouncountable
A defending player who stands farthest back to stop passes and make last-chance tackles.
Like the last guard standing between an attacker and the goal.
The safety caught the ball before it reached the end zone.
Their best safety made a key tackle to save the game.
UsageTeams often have a free safety and a strong safety. Two of them are safeties.
Note
3
two-point scorenouncountable
A score worth two points, won when the attacking team is tackled with the ball in its own end zone.
Like trapping your opponent in their own corner to win extra points.
The defense scored a safety by tackling the runner in the end zone.
That safety gave the team two crucial points late in the game.
UsageSay a team scores a safety, or a player is tackled for a safety.
Note

Less common meanings

4
lock switchnouncountable
A small switch or lock that stops a gun or machine from firing or working by accident.
Like the lock on a door that stops it opening by mistake.
Always keep the safety on until you are ready to shoot.
He forgot to set the safety before cleaning the rifle.
UsageSay the safety is on or off: keep the safety on until you shoot.
Similarcatch, lock
Note
5
lock a gunverbtransitive
To set the lock on a gun so it cannot fire by accident.
Like locking a door so it cannot be opened by mistake.
Always safety the rifle before you hand it to someone.
He forgot to safety his pistol after the practice round.
UsageYou safety the gun itself: safety the rifle. Past form safetied.
Note
6
snooker shotnouncountable
A careful shot in snooker meant to leave your opponent in a hard position rather than to score.
Like passing a ball back in a game so your opponent has a harder turn.
He played a safety to leave the white ball tight against the cushion.
Instead of going for the pot, she chose a safety.
UsagePlayers play a safety. A long run of these shots is a safety battle.
Note
7
bicyclenoundatedcountable
A bicycle with two wheels of the same size and a chain drive, like the bikes people ride today.
Grandfather rode his safety to work every day in the 1890s.
There are cyclists, like Mr. F. T. Bidlake, who prefer a tricycle to a safety, and to such men a long ride on a tricycle is no more fatiguing than a safety bicycle ride of the same distance.
1921, W. F. Grew, The Cycle IndustryHere, safety means a bicycle with two wheels of about the same size.
Note
8
noundated
In baseball, a hit that lets the batter get to a base safely.
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.
1952, Bernard Malamud, The Natural
9
verb
To lock a part, often with wire, so it cannot come loose, even when shaking.
10
nounarchaic
Keeping someone or something closely guarded so they cannot get away.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of safety apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from an old French word for being safe, which came from Latin 'salvus', meaning safe.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Safety comes from an old French word. en.wiktionary.org
The French word means being safe. en.wiktionary.org
The French word ultimately derives from Latin salvus. en.wiktionary.org
Latin salvus means safe. en.wiktionary.org