Rescue Means to Shake Loose
To rescue is to save from danger. The Old French root means to shake out or free from a grip.
To rescue is to save someone from danger or captivity. The Old French *rescourre* combines *re-* with *escourre*, to shake out, from Latin *excutere* — the same verb behind *discuss*, which originally meant to shake apart. A rescue is etymologically a shaking free from whatever holds you.
- To save from danger. *Rescue the crew.*
- An act of saving. *A mountain rescue.*
- Rescuer — one who rescues. *The rescuers arrived.*
- Rescue dog — a rehomed animal. *A rescue dog.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | rescue | Rescue the swimmer. |
| Past | rescued | Safely rescued. |
| Noun | rescue | A dramatic rescue. |
| Person | rescuer | A brave rescuer. |
| Related | discuss | Discuss the plan. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Rescue means to shake loose.From the Latin.
- Discuss once meant to shake apart.Same root.
- A rescue dog is one rehomed.Not one that performs rescues.
Words from *quatere*, to shake
- Rescue — to shake free
- Discuss — originally to shake apart
- Concussion — a violent shaking
- Percussion — striking, from shaking through
- Quash — to suppress, from the same family
From Old French *rescourre*, from *re-* and *escourre*, from Latin *excutere*, to shake out.
Are rescue and discuss related?
Yes. Both come from Latin *quatere*, to shake. Discussing something originally meant shaking it apart to examine it.
What is a rescue dog?
An animal rehomed from a shelter, not a dog trained to perform rescues. Search and rescue dogs are the second thing.