Buoy

A buoy ( /ˈbɔɪ/, also /ˈbwɔɪ/ or /ˈbuːiː/) is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with the sea wave. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly /ˈbɔɪ/ (identical with boy, also as in buoyancy) in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation /ˈbwɔɪ/. The pronunciation /ˈbuːiː/, while chiefly American, more closely resembles the modern French bouée .