búsqueda y rescate
Lemma Details
Translation: search and rescue
Part of Speech: phrase
Etymology: This phrase combines 'búsqueda' (search), which derives from the verb 'buscar' (to search, to look for) with Latin origins in 'buscare', and 'rescate' (rescue), which comes from the verb 'rescatar' (to rescue, to redeem), ultimately from Latin 'recaptare' meaning to take back or recover. The phrase follows the same structure as the English 'search and rescue', connected by the conjunction 'y' (and).
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
El equipo de búsqueda y rescate trabajó durante toda la noche después del terremoto.
The search and rescue team worked throughout the night after the earthquake.
Se ha iniciado una operación de búsqueda y rescate para encontrar a los excursionistas perdidos.
A search and rescue operation has been launched to find the lost hikers.
Los perros son fundamentales en las misiones de búsqueda y rescate.
Dogs are essential in search and rescue missions.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'búsqueda' as 'buscar' (to search) + 'queda' (remains) - you search what remains after a disaster.
- For 'rescate', remember it sounds a bit like 'rescue' with a Spanish twist.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
This phrase is commonly used in emergency services, military operations, and disaster response contexts. In Spanish-speaking countries, 'búsqueda y rescate' operations are often conducted by civil protection agencies, the military, or specialized volunteer groups, especially in response to natural disasters like earthquakes, which are common in countries like Mexico, Chile, and Peru.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'búsqueda y rescate' refers to finding and saving people in danger, 'búsqueda y captura' refers to the search and arrest of criminals or fugitives.
Notes: The contexts are very different: humanitarian emergencies versus law enforcement.
Mnemonic: Rescate (rescue) is for saving people; captura (capture) is for catching criminals.