life-buoy

Noun

life buoy (plural life buoys)

1. (UK) A buoyant object (most commonly torus-shaped) that is used as a life-saving device by keeping a person afloat.
   • A spherical life buoy having an air chamber formed therein, an entrance opening communicating with the interior of said life buoy, air inlet and exhaust pipes extending exteriorly therof, a perforated housing for each of said pipes, a dome secured to teh periphery of said life buoy and covering...1910, Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office

   Synonyms:

   life preserver, life ring, lifesaver, safety buoy, life belt

2. (UK, figuratively) Something that rescues one from difficulties.
   • Fearing that he might become permanently sewn into the Air France uniform he put on every morning, Manuel regarded Mario's faith in him as a life buoy.2001, Suzanne Jill Levine, Manuel Puig and the Spider Woman: His Life and Fictions, page 166