extinguisher
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that extinguishes.
-
an instrument consisting of a cone-shaped cup attached to a handle or the end of a pole, for extinguishing a candle by momentarily closing off the burning wick from the air.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of extinguisher
First recorded in 1550–60; extinguish + -er 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her parents made sure she knew how to use a fire extinguisher, which was very heavy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Another sprayed a fire extinguisher, sending up a white cloud.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
Standing repo facility usage: The SRF is supposed to be a backstop nobody needs, like the fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
The court saw footage of PC Forsyth come out of the station with a fire extinguisher.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025
Luckily we had a fire extinguisher in the car and soon put the fire out.
From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
