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

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

Atop the aerial ladder of a bright red fire engine, a firefighter wrangles a hose.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

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

With a happy wave he climbed back into the fire engine and pulled noisily away.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor