# safety

Pronunciation: say "SAYF-tee" /ˈseɪfti/

## Noun

1. The state of being protected from harm, danger, or loss, or the feeling of security that comes with it.
   - Simple: Being or feeling protected from harm, danger, or loss.
   - _Airport screening exists to ensure the safety of every passenger._
   - _After years living abroad, she finally felt a sense of safety back home._
2. A defensive player positioned farthest from the line of scrimmage, responsible for defending against passes and serving as the last line of tacklers.
   - Simple: A defending player who stands farthest back to stop passes and make last-chance tackles.
   - _The safety read the quarterback's eyes and intercepted the deep throw._
   - _Two safeties dropped back to guard against a long pass down the sideline._
3. A score, usually two points, awarded to the defense when the offense is tackled with the ball in its own end zone, sends the ball out of bounds behind it, or commits certain fouls there.
   - Simple: A score worth two points, won when the attacking team is tackled with the ball in its own end zone.
   - _The quarterback was sacked behind his own goal line, giving the opponents a safety._
   - _A late safety pulled them within one score of the lead._
4. A mechanism on a weapon or dangerous piece of equipment that prevents accidental firing or operation.
   - Simple: A small switch or lock that stops a gun or machine from firing or working by accident.
   - _The instructor checked that the safety was engaged on each rifle._
   - _A worn safety can allow a firearm to discharge unintentionally._
6. A defensive shot, or a run of them, played to leave the opponent without an easy scoring opportunity rather than to pot a ball.
   - Simple: A careful shot in snooker meant to leave your opponent in a hard position rather than to score.
   - _With no easy red to pot, she played a safety that left the white tight against the baulk cushion._
   - _A well-judged safety can force an opponent into a costly foul._

## Verb

5. To engage the safety mechanism on a firearm so that the gun cannot fire accidentally.
   - Simple: To set the lock on a gun so it cannot fire by accident.
   - _Range officers instruct shooters to safety their weapons before stepping off the line._
   - _She safetied the carbine and laid it carefully on the bench._

## Noun

7. A bicycle with two wheels of roughly equal size and a chain-driven rear wheel, developed as a safer alternative to the high-wheeled penny-farthing. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A bicycle with two wheels of the same size and a chain drive, like the bikes people ride today.
   - _By the 1890s, the safety had largely replaced the precarious penny-farthing._
   - _She pedaled her safety down the lane, her skirts gathered carefully._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In baseball, a base hit.
- (verb) To secure a mechanical component so that it cannot become detached even under continuous vibration.
- (noun) The keeping of a person or thing in close custody to prevent escape.

## Origin

It came through Middle English 'savete' from Old French 'sauveté' (earlier 'salvetet') and Medieval Latin 'salvitās', all going back to Latin 'salvus', meaning safe.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/safety (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).