'life-support system' definitions:

Definition of 'life-support system'

(from WordNet)
noun
Equipment that makes life possible in otherwise deadly environmental conditions; "the astronauts relied on their life-support systems" [syn: life-support system, life support]
noun
Medical equipment that assists or replaces important bodily functions and so enables a patient to live who otherwise might not survive; "the patient is on life support" [syn: life-support system, life support]