fireman
fireman Lexical Profile
fireman Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A male firefighter whose occupation is to extinguish hazardous fires and rescue people and animals from dangerous situations.
"The brave fireman climbed the tall ladder to rescue the family from the third-floor window."
A worker whose job is to tend the fire in the firebox of a steam locomotive, ship's boiler, or industrial furnace.
"On a traditional steam locomotive, the fireman shoveled coal into the firebox to maintain steam pressure while the engineer operated the controls."
American In baseball, a relief pitcher who is called into the game during a high-pressure situation to stop an opposing team's scoring rally.
"With the bases loaded in the eighth inning, the manager signaled to the bullpen for his best fireman to preserve the lead."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern professional and formal usage, the gender-neutral term 'firefighter' is strongly preferred over 'fireman'.
• Rhymes for fireman
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the late 14th century as a compound of 'fire' (from Old English 'fyr') and 'man' (from Old English 'mann'). Originally referring to someone who tended a furnace or hearth, the sense of a person who extinguishes destructive fires emerged in the early 18th century alongside the establishment of organized municipal fire brigades.