Standard Lemma guide

fireman

name · noun · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈfaɪɹmən/
  • General-American: /-ˌmæn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪəmən/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AY1 R M AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Someone (especially male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: firefighting, government

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: firefighter, smoke eater

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person (originally a man) who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive or steamship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, rail-transport, railways, transport

Examples

  • (the latter is informal)
  • The fireman's job was about to get very interesting; they had just run out of coal!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stoker, bakehead

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Topics: rail-transport, railways, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: footplateman

5

noun

Meaning 5

A relief pitcher (reflecting the figurative analogy of rescuing the situation).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, baseball, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A safety inspector in coal mines.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

Topics: business, mining

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

play in which children pretend to put out a fire

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play, child's play

8

noun

Meaning 8

a member of a fire department who tries to extinguish fires

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: firefighter, fire fighter, fire-eater

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defender, guardian, protector, shielder

Narrower terms: fire chief, fire marshal, fire warden, forest fire fighter, ranger

9

noun

Meaning 9

a pitcher who does not start the game

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reliever, relief pitcher

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pitcher, hurler, twirler

Narrower terms: closer, finisher

10

noun

Meaning 10

a laborer who tends fires (as on a coal-fired train or steamship)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stoker

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: laborer, manual laborer, labourer, jack

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *péh2wr̥ Proto-Germanic *fōr Proto-West Germanic *fuir Old English fȳr Middle English fyr English fire Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Middle English man Middle English -man English -man English fireman From fire + -man.

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: пожарника́р (požarnikár) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Danish: brandmand — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Dutch: brandweerman — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Finnish: palomies — male skilled in fighting fire
  • German: Feuerwehrmann — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Greek: πυροσβέστης (pyrosvéstis) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Hungarian: tűzoltó — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Icelandic: slökkviliðismaður — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Icelandic: brunaliðsmaður — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Irish: fear dóiteáin — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Irish: fear tine — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Italian: pompiere — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Latin: siphonarius — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Latin: vigil — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Latin: ignīnus — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Latvian: ugunsdzēsējs — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Macedonian: пожа́рникар (požárnikar) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Navajo: kǫʼ yiniłtsésí — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Navajo: kǫʼ deiniłtsésí — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Norwegian: brannmann — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Polish: strażak — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Portuguese: bombeiro — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Portuguese: homem do fogo — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Romanian: pompier — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Russian: пожа́рный (požárnyj) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Russian: пожа́рная (požárnaja) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Russian: пожа́рник (požárnik) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Russian: пожа́рница (požárnica) — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Scottish Gaelic: fear-smàlaidh — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Serbo-Croatian: ватрогасац — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Serbo-Croatian: vatrogasac — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Spanish: bombero — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Swedish: brandman — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Volapük: lefilahipoldan — male skilled in fighting fire
  • Czech: topič — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Danish: fyrbøder — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Esperanto: hejtisto — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Finnish: lämmittäjä — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • French: chauffeur — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • German: Heizer — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Greek: θερμαστής (thermastís) — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Hebrew: מַסִּיק (masik) — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Hungarian: fűtő — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Irish: fear tine — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Macedonian: ло́жач (lóžač) — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fyrbøter — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Polish: palacz — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Romanian: fochist — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Russian: кочега́р (kočegár) — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Serbo-Croatian: ло̀жа̄ч — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Serbo-Croatian: lòžāč — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Spanish: fogonero — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Swedish: eldare — person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler
  • Finnish: lämmittäjä — assistant on any locomotive
  • Hebrew: מַסִּיק (masik) — assistant on any locomotive
  • Hungarian: fűtő — assistant on any locomotive
  • Polish: palacz — assistant on any locomotive
  • Romanian: fochist — assistant on any locomotive
  • Serbo-Croatian: ло̀жа̄ч — assistant on any locomotive
  • Serbo-Croatian: lòžāč — assistant on any locomotive
  • Spanish: fogonero — assistant on any locomotive
  • Swedish: lokomotiveldare — assistant on any locomotive
  • Finnish: syöttäjä — pitcher
  • Hungarian: dobó — pitcher
  • Hungarian: dobójátékos — pitcher
  • Polish: miotacz — pitcher