Definition of 'buoy'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense buoys
, present participle buoying
, past tense, past participle buoyed
1. countable noun
2. verb
If someone in a
difficult
situation is buoyed by something, it makes them
feel more
cheerful and optimistic.
In May they danced in the streets, buoyed by their victory.
[be VERB-ed + by]
German domestic consumption buoyed the German economy.
[VERB noun]
Buoy up means the same as
buoy.
They are buoyed up by a sense of hope.
[be VERB-ed PARTICLE]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
buoy
Word Frequency
buoy in British English
noun
1.
a distinctively shaped and
coloured
float,
anchored to the
bottom, for
designating
moorings,
navigable
channels, or
obstructions in a body of water
See also
life buoyverb
4. (transitive) nautical
to mark (a channel or obstruction) with a buoy or buoys
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C13: probably of Germanic origin; compare Middle Dutch boeie, boeye; see beaconWord Frequency
buoy in American English
noun
1.
a.
2.
verb transitive
3.
to mark or provide with a buoy
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < (? via MDu boeie) OFr buie, chain < L boia, fetter (see
boy): prob. first applied to the chain anchoring the float
Example sentences including
buoy
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.
Read more…
Trends of
buoy
View usage for:
In other languages
buoy
British English: buoy
/bɔɪ; ˈbuːɪ/ NOUN
A buoy is a floating object that shows ships and boats where they can go and warns them of danger.
- American English: buoy
- Arabic: عَوّامَة للإِرْشاد
- Brazilian Portuguese: bóia
- Chinese: 浮标
- Croatian: plovak
- Czech: bóje
- Danish: bøje afmærkning
- Dutch: boei
- European Spanish: boya
- Finnish: poiju
- French: bouée
- German: Boje
- Greek: σημαδούρα
- Italian: boa
- Japanese: ブイ
- Korean: 부표
- Norwegian: bøye
- Polish: boja
- European Portuguese: bóia
- Romanian: baliză
- Russian: буй
- Latin American Spanish: boya
- Swedish: boj
- Thai: ทุ่น
- Turkish: şamandıra
- Ukrainian: буй
- Vietnamese: phao
Nearby words of
buoy
Source
Definition of buoy from the
Collins English Dictionary
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
advice or advise?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
advise
advice
Doctors that he should be transferred to a private room.
medal or meddle?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
medal
meddle
You can't beat getting a gold at a home games.
conker or conquer?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
conker
conquer
The season is here again.
larva or lava?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
lava
larva
Rivers of flowed down the volcano.
feat or feet?
Which version is correct?
Your score:
Word of the day
pargasite
a dark green inosilicate mineral, named after Pargas in Finland where it was first described in 1814
Latest Word Submissions
self-isolation
Jan 31, 2020
centibillionaire
Jan 31, 2020
wet market
Jan 31, 2020
Brexit Day
Jan 31, 2020
Unlock language with the Paul Noble method
No books. No rote memorization. No chance of failure. Your chance to have a one-to-one lesson with best-selling language expert Paul Noble, try a FREE audio sample of his brand new Mandarin Chinese course.
Read more
The evolution of English
Last month saw the publication of the new fourth edition of the Collins COBUILD English Usage, an in-depth guide to modern and authentic English. To celebrate this event, we thought we’d look at some of the ways in which English usage is evolving in today’s world.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Learning English: Making suggestions when travelling
Take a boat? Stay overnight somewhere? This article looks at some useful phrases you can use when discussing options about what to do when travelling.
Read more
13th edition of the Collins Dictionary out now!
Updated with all the very latest new words and senses, this new 13th edition is an unparalleled resource for word lovers, word gamers, and word geeks everywhere.
#homeoflivingenglish
Read more
New collocations added to dictionary
Collocations are words that are often used together and are brilliant at providing natural sounding language for your speech and writing.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Updating our Usage
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. Read our series of blogs to find out more.
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
wear or where?
Which version is correct?
ball or bawl?
Which version is correct?
pole or poll?
Drag the correct answer into the box.
pole
poll
The truck crashed into a telegraph .
cymbal or symbol?
Which version is correct?
tail or tale?
Which version is correct?
Your score: