Rescuer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛskjuːə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A person who saves someone from danger or distress
2. An individual who brings safety to another by liberating them from peril or hardship
3. A person who intervenes in a threatening situation to provide assistance and restore safety to another

Etymology: "Rescuer" is a plain formation: the verb "rescue" with the agent suffix "-er" attached, so it names the person who performs the act. "Rescue" itself came into English from Old French "rescourre," meaning to shake off or take back by force, and that Latin-derived root (re- plus "excutere," to shake out) hints at its original sense of forcibly wresting something away from an opponent. The noun "rescuer" follows the same pattern as countless other English agent nouns, such as "driver" or "teacher," built from a verb and the same suffix.

Synonyms: savior, liberator, deliverer, helper, guardian

Antonyms: captor, oppressor, persecutor, abductor, tormentor