rescue

transitive verb (rescued; rescuing) Etymology: Middle English rescouen, rescuen, from Anglo-French rescure, from re- + escure to shake off, from Latin excutere, from ex- + quatere to shake Date: 14th century to free from confinement, danger, or evil ; save, deliver: as a. to take (as a prisoner) forcibly from custody b. to recover (as a prize) by force c. to deliver (as a place under siege) by armed force • rescuable adjective • rescue noun • rescuer noun Synonyms: rescue, deliver, redeem, ransom, reclaim, save mean to set free from confinement or danger. rescue implies freeing from imminent danger by prompt or vigorous action <

rescued the crew of a sinking ship

>. deliver implies release usually of a person from confinement, temptation, slavery, or suffering <

delivered his people from bondage

>. redeem implies releasing from bondage or penalties by giving what is demanded or necessary <

job training designed to redeem school dropouts from chronic unemployment

>. ransom specifically applies to buying out of captivity <

tried to ransom the kidnap victim

>. reclaim suggests a bringing back to a former state or condition of someone or something abandoned or debased <

reclaimed long-abandoned farms

>. save may replace any of the foregoing terms; it may further imply a preserving or maintaining for usefulness or continued existence <

an operation that saved my life

>.