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firebreak

American

[fahyuhr-brayk] / ˈfaɪərˌbreɪk /

noun

a strip of plowed or cleared land made to check the spread of a prairie or forest fire.

firebreak British

/ ˈfaɪəˌbreɪk /

noun

Also: fireguard, fire line. a strip of open land in a forest or on a prairie, to arrest the advance of a fire
a measure taken to arrest the advance of anything dangerous or harmful

"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 firebreak

First recorded in 1890–95; fire + break

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.

See Examples For:

firebreak

French firefighters were "on the offensive" insisted commander Eric Pitault, standing in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

"We sighed with relief - strikes act like a firebreak."

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026

Ota testified he wasn’t concerned about covering up the firebreak as there was already live brush on each side.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2025

In Caerphilly, Wales, St Martin's School closed temporarily for a "firebreak" period after more than 250 pupils and staff fell ill with a "flu-like illness".

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

“They are trying to lay a firebreak by blowing up some houses.”

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep

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