I. buoy 1 /bɔɪ $ ˈbuːi, bɔɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Origin: Probably from Middle Dutch boye , boeie , from Latin boia 'chain' ; because a buoy is kept in place with a chain ]
an object that floats on the sea, a lake etc to mark a safe or dangerous area
II. buoy 2 BrE AmE ( also buoy up ) verb [transitive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Spanish ; Origin: boyar 'to float' , from boya 'buoy' , from Latin boia ; ⇨ ↑ buoy 1 ]
1 . to make someone feel happier or more confident:
The party is buoyed up by the latest opinion poll results.
2 . to keep profits, prices etc at a high level:
Increased demand for computers buoyed their profits.
3 . to keep something floating