fireman

IPA/ˈfaɪəmən/
KK[fˈaɪrmən]IPA/ˈfaɪərmən/

fireman — noun

  • firemansingular
  • firemenplural

1. someone — typically a man — who is trained to go to buildings, forests, or other

1.nounA2
Definition

someone — typically a man — who is trained to go to buildings, forests, or other places where fires are burning and stop the fire from damaging things or hurting people

Example

The fireman arrived at the burning house within three minutes of the emergency call.

arrived at the burning house

Yuki's uncle has worked as a fireman in Tokyo for over fifteen years.

worked as a fireman

Common collocations
  • brave fireman
  • volunteer fireman
  • off-duty fireman
  • fireman + rescue
  • fireman + arrive at
  • work as a fireman
  • call the fireman
Synonyms
  • firefighter

    gender-neutral term that has become the standard in official and formal English; preferred when referring to the profession generally or when the person's gender is unknown

Usage Note

The gender-neutral term firefighter has largely replaced fireman in official and formal contexts. Fireman is still used informally, but when the gender of the person is unknown or irrelevant, firefighter is preferred.

Common Mistakes

She is a fireman.
She is a firefighter.
fireman specifically refers to a man; use firefighter for women or when gender is unknown.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fireman and firefighter both refer to the same profession, but they carry different connotations regarding gender. Fireman literally refers to a man working in fire services, and it was the standard term for most of the 20th century. Firefighter is a gender-neutral alternative that has become the preferred term in official job titles, news reports, and most formal writing. In everyday conversation, fireman is still heard, especially among older speakers or in informal contexts. If you are writing a cover letter or filling out a form, use firefighter. If you are telling a story about a specific man who fought fires, fireman is acceptable but firefighter works just as well.

firefighter ↗fireman ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

A combination of the words fire (from Old English fyr, meaning 'a burning substance') and man (from Old English mann, meaning 'an adult male human'). The term first appeared in the late 1600s, originally referring to someone who tended fires (such as on a steam engine). By the 1800s it took on its modern meaning of someone who fights unwanted fires.