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.
Within a minute or two the fire department was on the scene with several trucks, and they quickly closed the street.
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026
The funds must be used for eligible core fire department services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2026
Capt. Ryan A. Vienna, commander of the Crescenta Valley Station, credited the fire department with extinguishing “a potentially disastrous fire that could have affected all LA County residents.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026
Police shut down the train tracks, which are used by several lines, while the fire department conducted the rescue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
Even the fire department used fire: Steam engines powered the pumps on the department’s horse-drawn fire trucks.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
