rescue
n. C / Un. the act of saving someone or something from a dangerous or difficult situation. You use this when a person, animal, or place is in trouble and needs help to be safe.
n. the act of saving or being saved from danger, harm, or confinement. Often used in legal or maritime contexts to describe the recovery of property or persons from peril.
The mountain rescue took several hours in the heavy snow.
Firefighters arrived quickly to perform a daring rescue of the family trapped on the top floor.
The successful rescue of the stranded hikers required a coordinated effort between local volunteers and the national guard, given the treacherous weather conditions.
From Middle English rescouen, from Old French rescoure, rescurre, rescorre; from Latin prefix re- (“re-”) + excutere (“to shake or drive out”), from ex (“out”) + quatiō (“to shake”).
Functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the general concept of saving, but is countable when referring to specific instances or operations.