lifeguard

American

[lahyf-gahrd] / ˈlaɪfˌgɑrd /

noun

an expert swimmer employed, as at a beach or pool, to protect bathers from drowning or other accidents and dangers.

verb (used without object)

to work as a lifeguard.

lifeguard British

/ ˈlaɪfˌɡɑːd /

noun

Also called: life-saver. a person present at a beach or pool to guard people against the risk of drowning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lifeguard

First recorded in 1640–50; life + guard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The soapy drama series, which premiered in 1989 and ran for 11 seasons, followed the lives and relationships of lifeguards who patrolled L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

An arbitration panel would instead make the final decision on some contract disputes for public safety employees, including firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and county lifeguards.

From Los Angeles Times

The Bahamian lifeguards and servers were bundled up.

From The Wall Street Journal

The lifeguard had ordered him out of the water, because the sudden arrival of a phalanx of swans was making the smaller children scream.

From Literature

There have been doctor, pilot, tennis player, firefighter, lifeguard, barista and even Olympic skier Kens, among many others.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023