firebox

Everyday

1. The part of a steam engine, boiler or stove where the fire burns. tree →
2. (US, old) A box on a street with an alarm to call firefighters. tree →

In the lessons

A history and technology word: in steam trains the fireman shovels coal into the firebox to heat water and make steam. In The Wind in the Willows Toad escapes on a steam train and helps the engine driver, feeding the furnace — the firebox — with coal.

Examples

• The fireman shovelled coal into the firebox. tree →
• The firebox glowed red and hot. tree →
• Steam engines boil water using heat from the firebox. tree →
• Toad helped stoke the engine's firebox as the train raced through the night. tree →
• Never touch the firebox of a wood stove; it is very hot. tree →
• The old engine's firebox had to be cleaned of ash every day. tree →

Note

Countable: a firebox, fireboxes. One word. In science, it shows how burning fuel makes heat that turns water into steam, which pushes the pistons. Not the same as a «fireplace» in a room, though both hold a fire.