Fireman
Pronunciation
Full definition of fireman
Noun
fireman
(plural firemen)- (firefighting) Someone (implied male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
- (rail transport) A man who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive.
- ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 Blue Ridge Mountains, verse 3:He looked around his cab at his black greasy fireman, saying 'shovel on a little more coal, and when we cross that White Oak Mountain, you can watch Old 97 roll'.
- (rail transport) By extension of the above, an assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
- (baseball) A relief pitcher.
Usage notes
Historically meant only a man, now used to refer to female firefighters as well. In modern usage, the gender-inclusive term firefighter is generally preferred.