sprinkler system

American  

noun

1. apparatus for automatically extinguishing fires in a building, consisting of a system of water pipes in or below the ceilings, with valves or sprinklers usually made to open automatically at a certain temperature.

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sprinkler system British  

noun

1. a fire-extinguishing system that releases water from overhead pipes through nozzles (sprinklers) opened automatically by a rise in temperature

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Etymology

Origin of sprinkler system

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

But Ridder has been frustrated by delays in inspections to verify compliance with new building codes, such as requiring a fire sprinkler system in the roof.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

It’s a sprinkler system set up before the blaze arrived to protect the sequoias and continue to shoot water onto their hefty trunks, according to the video provided by USFS.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2025

He drew inspiration from Canada, which permits a lower design standard for small residential buildings under three stories—not requiring a sprinkler system, for example.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025

The system boasted heat and flame detectors, fire retardant, a 2,500-gallon sprinkler system to soak the property and humidify the air for an hour, and autonomy from the power grid.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

They sat on the edge of the potato bed and talked for a while, about Lina’s grandmother and the baby, about the trouble Clary was having with the beehives, and about the greenhouse sprinkler system.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

Related Words

• sprinkler