fireman

noun

fire·​man ˈfī(-ə)r-mən How to pronounce fireman (audio)
1
: a person who tends or feeds fires : stoker
2
: a member of a fire department : firefighter
3
: an enlisted man in the navy who works with engineering machinery
4
: a relief pitcher in baseball

Examples of fireman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web María was now nineteen kilos, a weight Lil still carried with relative ease, piggyback or fireman. Elizabeth Barber, Harper's Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 There were firemen walking up and down or standing, as if waiting to be told what to do. Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 In 1945, the West Coast Negro Baseball Association was founded by Berkeley firemen Eddie Harris and David Portlock, prominent members of the High Marine Social Club — the oldest African American organization in the East Bay. Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 According to eyewitness accounts, the fan attempted to accost a fireman helping with the stretcher and ended up taking a swings at CIF Division I Tournament Director Dave Beamon and San Marcos Tournament Director Don Williams. Richard J. Marcus, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2024 Sometimes the firemen next door ran their chainsaws for no good reason. Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 In tonight's new episode, the remaining recruits will take on the fireman carry challenge. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Nov. 2023 In the 1953 novel, now a modern classic, author Ray Bradbury went on to describe a future in which books are banned and firemen burn them. John J. Miller, WSJ, 25 Dec. 2023 Next door, a fireman strutted toward his engine with a chainsaw in one hand and a box of Cheerios in the other. Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fireman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fireman was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fireman

Cite this Entry

“Fireman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fireman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fireman

noun
fire·​man -mən How to pronounce fireman (audio)
1
2
: a person who tends fires : stoker

More from Merriam-Webster on fireman

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