*safety*

n. [ Cf. F. sauveté. ] 1. The condition or state of being safe; freedom from danger or hazard; exemption from hurt, injury, or loss. [ 1913 Webster ]

Up led by thee,
Into the heaven I have presumed,
An earthly guest . . . With like safety guided down,
Return me to my native element. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Freedom from whatever exposes one to danger or from liability to cause danger or harm; safeness; hence, the quality of making safe or secure, or of giving confidence, justifying trust, insuring against harm or loss, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Would there were any safety in thy sex,
That I might put a thousand sorrows off,
And credit thy repentance! Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Preservation from escape; close custody. [ 1913 Webster ]

Imprison him, . . .
Deliver him to safety; and return. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Amer. Football) the act or result of a ball-carrier on the offensive team being tackled behind his own goal line, or the downing of a ball behind the offensive team's own goal line when it had been carried or propelled behind that goal line by a player on the offensive tream; such a play causes a score of two points to be awarded to the defensive team; -- it is distinguished from touchback, when the ball is downed behind the goal after being propelled there or last touched by a player of the defending team. See Touchdown. Same as Safety touchdown, below. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

5. Short for Safety bicycle. [ archaic ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

6. a switch on a firearm that locks the trigger and prevents the firearm from being discharged unintentionally; -- also called safety catch, safety lock, or lock. [ archaic ] [ PJC ]

. A bicycle with equal or nearly equal wheels, usually about 28 inches diameter, driven by pedals connected to the rear (driving) wheel by a multiplying gear. Since the 1930's this has been the most common type of bicycle, now simply called bicycle. The older high-wheelers are often referred to as bone-rattlers. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

. (a) (Railroads) A normally slack chain for preventing excessive movement between a truck and a car body in sluing. (b) An auxiliary watch chain, secured to the clothes, usually out of sight, to prevent stealing of the watch. (c) A chain of sheet metal links with an elongated hole through each broad end, made up by doubling the first link on itself, slipping the next link through and doubling, and so on. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Safety arch (Arch.), a discharging arch. See under Discharge, v. t. --
Safety belt, a belt made of some buoyant material, or which is capable of being inflated, so as to enable a person to float in water; a life preserver. --
Safety buoy, a buoy to enable a person to float in water; a safety belt. --
Safety cage (Mach.), a cage for an elevator or mine lift, having appliances to prevent it from dropping if the lifting rope should break. --
Safety lamp. (Mining) See under Lamp. --
Safety match, a match which can be ignited only on a surface specially prepared for the purpose. --
Safety pin, a pin made in the form of a clasp, with a guard covering its point so that it will not prick the wearer. --
Safety plug. See Fusible plug, under Fusible. --
Safety switch. See Switch. --
Safety touchdown (Football), the act or result of a player's touching to the ground behind his own goal line a ball which received its last impulse from a man on his own side; -- distinguished from touchback. See Touchdown. Same as safety --
Safety tube (Chem.), a tube to prevent explosion, or to control delivery of gases by an automatic valvular connection with the outer air; especially, a bent funnel tube with bulbs for adding those reagents which produce unpleasant fumes or violent effervescence. --
Safety valve, a valve which is held shut by a spring or weight and opens automatically to permit the escape of steam, or confined gas, water, etc., from a boiler, or other vessel, when the pressure becomes too great for safety; also, sometimes, a similar valve opening inward to admit air to a vessel in which the pressure is less than that of the atmosphere, to prevent collapse. [ 1913 Webster ]