fire department
Americannoun
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fire departments
plural
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the department of a municipal government charged with the prevention and extinguishing of fire.
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the personnel in such a department.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fire department
An Americanism dating back to 1815–25
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.
"From the helicopter itself, it’s pretty well destroyed," said Branden Silverman, a spokesman for the fire department.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the state fire department, runs the world’s largest civilian firefighting air force.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
Her father, Alan “Skip” Panettiere, worked for New York City’s fire department and was the parent she leaned on for emotional support.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
The rescue involved two Coast Guard boats, four fire department boats, two police boats and a police helicopter, the US Coast Guard said.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The volunteer fire department was called out by a neighbor, but the pumper truck driver, Edgar Paulsen, lost traction on Indian Knob Hill and had to halt to put on tire chains.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
