fireman

American  

[fahyuhr-muhn] / ˈfaɪər mən /

noun

plural

firemen

1. a person employed to extinguish or prevent fires; firefighter.

2. a person employed to tend fires; stoker.

3. Railroads.

   1. a person employed to fire and lubricate a steam locomotive.

   2. a person employed to assist the engineer of a diesel or electric locomotive.

4. U.S. Navy. an enlisted person assigned to the care and operation of a ship's machinery.

5. British Mining. fire boss.

6. Baseball. relief pitcher.

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fireman British  

/ ˈfaɪəmən /

noun

1. Gender-neutral form: firefighter.  a man who fights fires, usually a public employee or trained volunteer

2. 1. (on steam locomotives) the man who stokes the fire and controls the injectors feeding water to the boiler

   2. (on diesel and electric locomotives) the driver's assistant

3. a man who tends furnaces; stoker

4. US equivalent: fire boss.  Also called: deputy.  a mine official responsible for safety precautions

5. navy a junior rating who works on marine engineering equipment

6. informal any employee who is dispatched to deal with trouble at short notice

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Gender

See -man.

Etymology

Origin of fireman

1620–30 for sense “gunner”; fire + -man

Example Sentences

As a teenager, Woods left Columbus for Missouri in 1872 to take a job as a railroad fireman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

"As I recall he was very rarely there," said the former fireman from Gwynedd.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

"I am profoundly grieved at the loss of this dedicated and gallant fireman," Andy Yeung, director of the fire service said in a statement.

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

Once again, he is both arsonist and fireman.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

Before he could send the fireman to investigate, the ghastly figure had vanished in the haze, melted in the mist.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• firefighter