fire engine

American  

[fahyuhr en-juhn] / ˈfaɪər ˌɛn dʒən /

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 British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of fire engine

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

A Cal Fire engine and a Los Angeles city firetruck rolled in, he said, but the crews were outmatched.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025

Fire engine crews patrolled again overnight and tamed hot spots around the fire’s perimeter.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023

Fire engine sirens — a good proxy for the loudness of surrounding soundscapes — are up to six times louder than they were a century ago.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

Fire engine crews planned Monday to visit similar communities at risk and take steps such as moving firewood and propane tanks away from cabins and setting up sprinkler systems, Peterson said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 28, 2020

Fire engine, steam, 338. ,, escape, invented by Capt.

From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Mackie, Charles