buddy system
Americannoun
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(in swimming and scuba diving) the practice of pairing swimmers, each being responsible for the other's safety.
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any arrangement whereby two or more persons, teams, etc., watch out for each other, as with mountain climbers.
Etymology
Origin of buddy system
First recorded in 1940–45
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 buddy system can sometimes be more effective for folks who are accustomed to pushing themselves physically at work.
From Slate • Aug. 27, 2024
Zabow suggested using a buddy system in which friends monitor one another for symptoms of heat exhaustion, including heavy sweating, dizziness, and nausea, and leave early to get help if needed.
From Salon • Nov. 27, 2023
Critically, she discovered that another polymerase, called polymerase delta, uses a buddy system with polymerase theta to assist it in this repair pathway.
From Science Daily • Nov. 15, 2023
He replied: "Nothing I would describe as training. It was done in a mentoring or buddy system - learning on the job."
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2023
Jerry had decided to use a buddy system inside the building, and he began deciding who would be paired with whom.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.