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Synonyms

sprinkler system

American  

noun

  1. apparatus for automatically extinguishing fires in a building, consisting of a system of water pipes in or below the ceilings, with valves or sprinklers usually made to open automatically at a certain temperature.

sprinkler system British  

noun

  1. a fire-extinguishing system that releases water from overhead pipes through nozzles (sprinklers) opened automatically by a rise in temperature

"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 sprinkler system

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

But Ridder has been frustrated by delays in inspections to verify compliance with new building codes, such as requiring a fire sprinkler system in the roof.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

Another forward-looking firm, Frontline Wildfire Defense, has created a sprinkler system that uses fire-tracking technology to detect blazes near a home.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

He drew inspiration from Canada, which permits a lower design standard for small residential buildings under three stories—not requiring a sprinkler system, for example.

From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025

She recommends clearing as much vegetation from around residential properties as possible, and installing a fire-resistant roof or a sprinkler system.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

They sat on the edge of the potato bed and talked for a while, about Lina’s grandmother and the baby, about the trouble Clary was having with the beehives, and about the greenhouse sprinkler system.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

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.