fireman

American  

[fahyuhr-muhn] / ˈfaɪər mən /

noun

plural

firemen

1. a person employed to extinguish or prevent fires; firefighter.

2. a person employed to tend fires; stoker.

3. Railroads.

   1. a person employed to fire and lubricate a steam locomotive.

   2. a person employed to assist the engineer of a diesel or electric locomotive.

4. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person assigned to the care and operation of a ship's machinery.

5. British Mining. fire boss.

6. Baseball. relief pitcher.

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fireman British  

/ ˈfaɪəmən /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: firefighter.  a man who fights fires, usually a public employee or trained volunteer

2. 1. (on steam locomotives) the man who stokes the fire and controls the injectors feeding water to the boiler

   2. (on diesel and electric locomotives) the driver's assistant

3. a man who tends furnaces; stoker

4. US equivalent: fire boss.  Also called: deputy.  a mine official responsible for safety precautions

5. navy a junior rating who works on marine engineering equipment

6. informal any employee who is dispatched to deal with trouble at short notice

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Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of fireman

1620–30 for sense “gunner”; fire + -man

Example Sentences

Replete with Constructivist angles, it’s an unsentimental account of a woman who tells her fireman husband he isn’t the father of their newborn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 17, 2025

Once again, he is both arsonist and fireman.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

“I felt like I was at a crossroads because I didn’t know if I wanted to continue as a fireman ... the best job you could possibly have,” Greene said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

They hail from all walks of life: among them are a fireman, a carpenter, a nurse and a journalist.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2024

“They’s another’n comin'!” Then, handing me over to the conductor, he and the fireman sprinted toward the engine, way up the tracks.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• firefighter