ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fireman

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈfaɪɹmən// UK //fˈaɪəmən// fire·man Archaic

n. a person whose job is to put out fires and rescue people from dangerous situations. Most people now use the gender-neutral word 'firefighter' instead.

n. a person employed to extinguish fires and rescue individuals from hazardous environments. While historically common, it is increasingly replaced by the gender-neutral 'firefighter' in modern professional contexts.


SIMPLE

The fireman climbed the ladder to reach the window.

CONTEXTUAL

The local fireman received an award for his bravery during the forest fire last summer.

COMPLEX

In older literature, the fireman is often depicted as a heroic figure battling the elements, though modern administrative documents almost exclusively use the term firefighter to reflect a diverse workforce.

Synonyms
Origin

From fire + -man.

Usage

The plural form is 'firemen'.

Pitfall

The fireman she is brave.The firefighter she is brave.Because 'fireman' is gender-specific, it is logically inconsistent and socially dated to use it when referring to a woman; use 'firefighter' instead.

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