Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Fireman
Fire′man
,Noun.
pl.
Firemen
(-men)
. 1.
A man whose business is to extinguish fires in towns; a member of a fire company.
2.
A man who tends the fires, as of a steam engine; a stocker.
Webster 1828 Edition
Fireman
FI'REMAN
, n.1.
A man whose business is to extinguish fires in towns.2.
A man of violent passions. [Not used.]Definition 2024
fireman
fireman
English
Noun
fireman (plural firemen)
- (firefighting) Someone (implied male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
- (rail transport) A man who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive.
- ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 [ballad, Blue Ridge Mountains], verse 3:
- He looked around his cab at his black greasy fireman, saying 'shovel on a little more coal, and when we cross that White Oak Mountain, you can watch Old 97 roll'.
- 1938, Xavier Herbert, Capricornia, Chapter IX, p. 140,
- No grass grew under a train when the engineer let Fireman McLash take the throttle.
- ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 [ballad, Blue Ridge Mountains], verse 3:
- (rail transport) By extension of the above, an assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
- (baseball) A relief pitcher.
Usage notes
Historically meant only a man, now used to refer to female firefighters as well. In modern usage, the gender-inclusive term firefighter is generally preferred.
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Related terms
terms related to fireman
Translations
someone skilled in fighting fire — see firefighter
male skilled in fighting fire
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man who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
assistant on any locomotive