extinguisher
Americannoun
-
extinguishers
plural
-
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.
See Examples For:
Too late, a UN security guard rushes in with a fire extinguisher.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
With the right extinguisher, you might be able to stop it quickly.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Her parents made sure she knew how to use a fire extinguisher, which was very heavy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Among their finds is a fire extinguisher dating from 1942, newspapers from the week after D-Day, and a tin of "whole chicken in jelly" - fortunately empty.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Not an apple or a fire extinguisher, and definitely not the model fire engine that my sweet son made!
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Nearby, employees of the Union shopping mall practised using fire extinguishers to put out flames within a controlled pit, under the guidance of firefighters.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
Launched in 2009, it also makes life jackets and fire extinguishers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
“We went through seven fire extinguishers but we saved the car, which was on a lift,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026
Questions are also being raised regarding the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers, and whether the bar's exits were in compliance with regulations.
From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026
There were some condemned head-dresses lying in disgrace—strange shapes of starch like candle extinguishers, and meringues, and the double horns of cows.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
