Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RES-CUE, v.t. [res'cu; Norm. rescure, to rescue; rescous, retaken, rescued, relieved; Fr. recourre, recous; qu. from recouvrer, to recover. The Italian riscattare, Sp. rescatar, Port. resgatar, to redeem, to rescue, is compounded of re and cattare, to get. The Fr. recous is evidently the It. riscossa, recovery, riscosso, recovered, from riscuotere, to redeem, ransom, regain, escape, exact, or recover, contracted in Fr. recourre, from ri or re and It. scuotere, to shake; scossa, a shaking; L. re and quatio.]

To free or deliver from any confinement, violence, danger or evil; to liberate from actual restraint, or to remove or withdraw from a state of exposure to evil; as, to rescue a prisoner from an officer; to rescue seamen from destruction by shipwreck. So the people rescued Jonathan that he died not. – 1 Sam. xiv. xxx. Ps. xxxv. Cattle taken by distress contrary to law, may be rescued by the owner, while on their way to the pound. – Blackstone. Estimate the value of one soul rescued from eternal guilt and agony, and destined to grow forever in the knowledge and likeness of God. – A. Dickinson.