fire engine

American  

[fahyuhr en-juhn] / ˈfaɪər ˌɛn dʒən /

noun

fire engines plural

1. a vehicle equipped for firefighting, now usually a motor truck having a motor-driven pump for shooting water or chemical solutions at high pressure.

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fire engine British  

noun

1. a heavy road vehicle that carries firefighters and firefighting equipment to a fire

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fire engines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fire engine

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fire engine

Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, was woken up at 05:30 by the sound of a fire engine.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

It said another factor was the lack of a transponder on the fire engine.

From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said three fire engine crews were called to tackle the blaze, which affected two floors of the property at Caerphilly Close, just after midnight on Friday 9 January.

From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2026

Another filmed himself checking on his home, and you can see exactly what he sees when he comments “not a fire engine in sight.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

I says, and Mink gave them a cut and we went past her like a fire engine.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner