fire engine

[ fahyuhr en-juhn ]

noun

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.

fire engine

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of fire engine¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Our Toniebox was pink, but you can select from a spectrum of six choices, including fire engine red, sky blue, grass green, purple, and gray.

From Popular-Science

Clara Young Kim places her camera tightly to reveal that a fire engine is as battered as it is shiny.

From Washington Post

It’s like paying for a fire engine even in years when there’s no fire.

From Ozy

An ambulance and fire engine responded, along with additional police.

From Washington Post

Indeed, once the fire-engine house was taken, everybody seemed impressed by John Brown, rather than infuriated or vengeful.

From The Daily Beast

Now that the fire-engine house was surrounded by the marines, he was certain nobody could escape.

From The Daily Beast

There was Ann in her fire-engine Oscar de la Renta, straight out of the First Lady playbook.

From The Daily Beast

But this fall specifically, a fire-engine coif is proving to be the must-have for the fashion pack.

From The Daily Beast

New precautions against fire were taken in Newport by the formation of firewards, and a fire engine was sent for from England.

From Project Gutenberg

While he sat there some bells began ringing furiously and a steam fire engine rushed by.

From Project Gutenberg

In the following year Braithwaite and Ericsson in London brought out the first portable fire-engine.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly there was a clang-clang of gongs, and all traffic drew to one side to allow the passage of a flying motor fire-engine.

From Project Gutenberg

The Steam Fire-Engine is still another form of portable engine.

From Project Gutenberg