Rescue
Meaning
To save someone or something from a dangerous, difficult, or harmful situation.
Origin
The powerful verb 'rescue' arrived in English from the Old French 'rescoure,' which meant 'to deliver, set free, or save.' Its roots delve even deeper, tracing back to the Vulgar Latin *recutere, a vigorous term implying 'to strike back' or 'recover.' Envision a besieged castle in medieval times: a knight, trapped and surrounded, his comrades launching a counter-attack—a 'striking back'—to 'recover' him from capture or certain doom. This inherent sense of forceful, immediate intervention to snatch someone from danger has persisted through the ages, giving 'rescue' its potent meaning of urgent salvation.
Examples
- The brave firefighters managed to rescue the cat from the top of the tall tree.
- She felt like her friend had come to her rescue when she was struggling with the complex assignment.