fire hydrant

American  

noun

1. a hydrant for use in extinguishing fires.

---

fire hydrant British  

noun

1. Also called (esp US and NZ): fireplug.  a hydrant for use as an emergency supply for fighting fires, esp one in a street

---

Etymology

Origin of fire hydrant

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Insecurity is not uncommon among artists—or the rest of us—but few stars broadcast their anxieties to the world like Eilish: She is wildly open, the emotional equivalent of a fire hydrant spraying a summer sidewalk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

The Cybertruck careened instead into a fire hydrant, then a tree, before bursting into flames.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2025

They couldn't find the fire hydrant outside which delayed it even more.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

In a recent interview, Mr. Navarro recalled that, in a heated Oval Office argument, Mr. Cohn “lifted his leg on me,” making a gesture like a dog at a fire hydrant.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2024

Where they could stand on the blue mailboxes like pedestals or see who could balance the longest on the tip-top of a fire hydrant.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds