Life Support (Noun)
Meaning 1
Medical equipment that assists or replaces important bodily functions and so enables a patient to live who otherwise might not survive; "the patient is on life support".
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- After the accident the injured driver was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support.
- Medical staff made the difficult decision to take the patient off life support when it became clear there was no chance of recovery.
- Hospitals are obligated to provide life support to patients when necessary regardless of financial situation.
- Her status as a life support dependent severely limited her options for travel.
- The hospital bill to cover the cost of the equipment and staff required for life support was astronomical.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Equipment that makes life possible in otherwise deadly environmental conditions; "the astronauts relied on their life-support systems".
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The patient was put on life support in the ICU as the doctors struggled to stabilize his condition.
- Astronauts venturing into space must have reliable life support systems to survive the lack of oxygen.
- The new scuba diving equipment included an advanced life support system that allowed divers to stay underwater longer.
- The remote research station in Antarctica relied on its life support system to provide warmth and oxygen for the scientists.
- The astronauts on the Mars expedition spent months designing and testing the life support system that would keep them alive on the hostile planet.