fire department
Americannoun
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the department of a municipal government charged with the prevention and extinguishing of fire.
-
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.
When your home is burning, and the local fire department doesn’t show up, it burns down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family," the fire department said.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
With the help of City Manager Antony Lopez, he and other city officials set out to launch their own fire department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The building’s solar array had a shutdown switch that firefighters flipped when the most recent blaze began, according to the fire department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Mr. Santoro called the fire department too and they came right away.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
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.
