firebox

American

[fahyuhr-boks] / ˈfaɪərˌbɒks /

noun

the box or chamber containing the fire of a steam boiler, furnace, etc.
the furnace of a locomotive, where coal, oil, or other fuel is burned to generate steam.
a box or panel with a device for notifying the fire station of an outbreak of fire.
Obsolete. a tinderbox.

firebox British

/ ˈfaɪəˌbɒks /

noun

the furnace chamber of a boiler in a steam locomotive
an obsolete word for tinderbox

"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 firebox

First recorded in 1545–55; fire + box ¹

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’s rich in both aluminum and silica and can withstand decades of high temperatures inside the firebox.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2023

The hitching rack, hewn-log tables, campfire ring and firebox all were gone as well.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2022

You can go to AsktheBuilder.com and discover illustrations of how your firebox should be built.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2021

You can go to AsktheBuilder.com to learn more about how your firebox should be built and see tables with required dimensions, and also learn more about how chimney caps should be built.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2021

He sat on the surface furthest away from the firebox.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

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