Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A large net for catching one that falls or jumps, as from a circus trapeze.
- noun A guarantee, as of professional, physical, or financial security.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A large net placed
horizontally beneath performingaerialists such astrapeze artists ortightrope walkers , intended to catch a performer who falls and to protect him or her from harm. - noun figuratively, by extension Anything, such as a
governmental program , that providessecurity against extremedisadvantage ormisfortune .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a guarantee of professional or financial security
- noun a large strong net to catch circus acrobats who fall or jump from a trapeze
Etymologies
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MaryW commented on the word safety net
Krissy Clark, How did the social safety net get its name?, Marketplace, April 2, 2013.January 29, 2017