fire-eater

American  

[fahyuhr-ee-ter] / ˈfaɪərˌi tər /

noun

1. an entertainer who pretends to eat fire.

2. an easily provoked, belligerent person.

3. U.S. History. an early and extreme Southern advocate of secession before the Civil War.

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fire-eater British  

noun

1. a performer who simulates the swallowing of fire

2. a belligerent person

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Other Word Forms

• fire-eating
  noun
• fire-eating
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fire-eater

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fire-eater

Despite his militant posture in recent years, Davis had not been a genuine fire-eater but a “national Democrat” who had hoped to defend southern rights within the Union through control of the Democratic Party.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 18, 2018

On one of our last afternoons there, we wanted to shoot some nice footage and decided to meet with Lamount, a fire-eater who liked to go by “The Human Volcano”.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2017

Here, while working as a bongo drummer in a nightclub, the man who would become known as the "Playboy Peer" met his second wife, Shirin Belly, a Malaysian belly dancer and fire-eater.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2016

Mr. Kahl’s first wife was the fire-eater in the sideshow; his second runs a gift shop in Coney Island.

From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2013

He and two companions had dragged the fire-eater back here, where Capricorn had, in his own characteristic way, questioned him about Silvertongue and the book.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke