fireman

Meanings

Plural: firemen

Noun

• play in which children pretend to put out a fire
• a laborer who tends fires (as on a coal-fired train or steamship)
• a pitcher who does not start the game
• a member of a fire department who tries to extinguish fires
• Someone (especially one who is male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
• A person (originally a man) who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive or steamship.
• An assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
• A relief pitcher (reflecting the figurative analogy of rescuing the situation).
• A safety inspector in coal mines.

Synonyms

bakehead, fire fighter, fire-eater, firefighter, relief pitcher, reliever, smoke eater, stoker

Related Words

fire brigade, fire engine, fire extinguisher, fire hose, fire hydrant, fire station, fire truck, fireplug, stoker, tillerman