Sa ‧ mar ‧ i ‧ tans, the /səˈmærət ə nz, səˈmærɪt ə nz/ BrE AmE
an organization that offers a free telephone service to help people who are very sad, worried, or confused. The Samaritans are known for listening to people who feel uncomfortable talking to someone they know about their problems, or who feel so unhappy that they want to kill themselves. The organization started in Britain but now operates in 32 countries around the world.