fire hydrant

American  

noun

1. a hydrant for use in extinguishing fires.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of fire hydrant

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant outside his home in Isleworth, Fla., at 2:30 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

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

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

It was titled Despierta Boricua and depicted a Taino Indian tied to a New York City fire hydrant.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez