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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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only
Topics: firefighting, government
Examples
- 2005, Mary Gordon, Pearl Isn't there some machine used in car wrecks to extricate people called the jaws of life?
- 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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
hydraulic tool inserted into a wrecked vehicle and used to pry the wreckage apart in order to provide access to people trapped inside
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: tool
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.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.
-
Polish:
szczęki życia
— emergency rescue equipment
-
Portuguese:
desencarcerador
— emergency rescue equipment
-
Portuguese:
abre-latas
— emergency rescue equipment
-
Spanish:
mandíbulas de la vida
— emergency rescue equipment
-
Spanish:
quijadas de la vida
— emergency rescue equipment
