rescue
UK[ˈreskjuː]US[ˈreskjuː]
v
To save someone or something from a dangerous or harmful situation.
n
An act of saving someone or something from danger or distress.
Etymology
The word rescue originates from the Anglo-Norman verb rescure and the Old French rescourre, meaning "to shake loose, free, or deliver." This Old French term was itself a compound, formed from the Latin prefix re-, meaning "back" or "again," and the verb excutere, meaning "to shake out" or "drive out." The semantic journey is vivid: the original Latin sense of physically shaking something out evolved through Old French into the more abstract concept of freeing someone from confinement or peril. By the late 14th century, it was firmly established in English with its modern meaning of delivering from danger or imprisonment, carrying the core logic of pulling someone back from a threatening situation.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It entered English as a single lexical unit from Anglo-Norman and Old French.
Examples
The firefighter managed to rescue the child from the burning building.
A major operation was launched for the rescue of the trapped miners.
She invested her own money to rescue the failing company.