Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

jaws of life

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.56 in modern English

Syllables: jaws of life
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Emergency rescue equipment used to open a severely damaged passenger vehicle with a strong mechanical jaw function that forcibly pushes or pulls metal components apart, to quickly and somewhat safely extricate the trapped occupants.

Example Sentences

"2005, Mary Gordon, Pearl Isn't there some machine used in car wrecks to extricate people called the jaws of life?"
"The power of the “jaws of life” were shown first and set aside."
"2009, Tony Evans, Tony Evan's Book of Illustrations Even when drivers have had wrecks through no one's fault but their own, rescue crews still employ the "jaws of life" to get them out of trouble."
"For the most terrible of car accidents, jaws of life have to be used to extricate the injured."

Etymology

By analogy with an actual jaw and the fact that this mechanical device allows the possibility of preserving the life of the victim being rescued.

Questions

What does jaws of life mean?: Emergency rescue equipment used to open a severely damaged passenger vehicle with a strong mechanical jaw function that forcibly pushes or pulls metal components apart, to quickly and somewhat safely extricate the trapped occupants.
Where does jaws of life come from?: By analogy with an actual jaw and the fact that this mechanical device allows the possibility of preserving the life of the victim being rescued.

How to pronounce jaws of life

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