life-support

[ lahyf-suh-pawrt, -pohrt ]

adjective

1. of or relating to equipment or measures that sustain or artificially substitute for essential body functions, as breathing or disposal of body wastes:

   Without life-support equipment, the patient might die.

2. of or relating to equipment or measures that provide, within a surrounding hostile environment, as outer space or ocean depths, a life-sustaining environment similar to that found on the earth's surface:

   the life-support system of a spacecraft or submarine.

3. of or relating to anything that fosters or sustains life, success, or continued existence, as of a person, thing, or nation:

   the life-support system of the economy.

life-support

adjective

1. of or providing the equipment required to sustain human life in an unnatural environment, such as in space, or in severe illness or disability

Word History and Origins

Origin of life-support¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

The IV saline, dextrose and sterile water fluids provide hydration before surgery or childbirth, as well as provide life-support for babies born prematurely and for others with life-threatening conditions like sepsis, a dangerous blood condition.

From Salon

They looked for those that might digest lunar and Martian materials, extract important elements such as aluminum, magnesium, and iron, regenerate themselves, and perhaps produce oxygen or water as a byproduct to help provide life-support.

From Science Daily

The ocean is a critical life-support system for our planet through its role in global climate regulation.

From Science Daily

A critically ill baby at the centre of a legal battle has died after her life-support was turned off.

From BBC

A humanitarian crisis has befallen Al-Shifa in recent days, with the complex and its life-support systems losing electricity while patients and staff remain trapped inside.

From Washington Times