1. Line thrown from a vessel that people can cling to in order to save themselves from drowning
   "The crew tossed lifelines to the passengers in the water"
    
2. Support that enables people to survive or to continue doing something (often by providing an essential connection)
   "the airlift provided a lifeline for Berlin"; "she offered me a lifeline in my time of grief"
    
3. Line that raises or lowers a deep-sea diver
   "The diver's lifeline became tangled, causing concern for the surface team"
    
4. A crease on the palm; its length is said by palmists to indicate how long you will live
   "The fortune teller traced the lifeline on her palm";
   - line of life, life line

Derived forms: lifelines, life lines

Type of: crease, crinkle, furrow, line, seam, support, wrinkle

Encyclopedia: Lifeline