/ bɔɪ; NAmE ; NAmE also ˈbuːi/ noun , verb
■ noun
an object which floats on the sea or a river to mark the places where it is dangerous and where it is safe for boats to go
—see also lifebuoy
■ verb [ vn ] [ usually passive ]
1.
buoy sb (up) to make sb feel cheerful or confident :
Buoyed by their win yesterday the team feel confident of further success.
2.
buoy sb/sth (up) to keep sb/sth floating on water
3.
buoy sth (up) to keep prices at a high or acceptable level
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : probably from Middle Dutch boye , boeie , from a Germanic base meaning signal. The verb is from Spanish boyar to float, from boya buoy.