Synonyms

fire engine

American

[fahyuhr en-juhn] / ˈfaɪər ˌɛn dʒən /

noun

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fire engine

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Imported Kei vehicles cost anywhere from $6,500 for an old mini van or above $10,000 for a Kei fire engine or lorry.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 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

"When we got home, a fire engine was already there and our whole front garden was already flooded and the kids toys were floating around," she said.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

Bongo leaned close to the glass and performed her very best fire engine siren.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023