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.

---

fire engine British  

noun

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

---

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

Dozens of homes stood gutted and abandoned, while a charred fire engine lay among the wreckage nearby, an AFP reporter saw.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Until, that is, the predawn hours Sunday when Bader’s scooter collided with the back of a fire engine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 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

"You can do the fire engine if you want, Dad," Sam said.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry