fireman

Everyday

1. A fireman is a person whose job is to put out fires and rescue people; today the usual word is firefighter, because both men and women do this job. tree →
2. (old) A fireman was also a worker who kept the fire burning in a steam engine or ship's boiler. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety lessons, firefighters visit schools to teach fire safety: smoke alarms, stop-drop-and-roll, and calling 999, 911, 000 or 111 (depending on country). In history, steam-train firemen shovelled coal. Phrases: «Fireman Sam», «fireman's lift» (a way of carrying a person over your shoulders).

Examples

• The fireman rescued a cat from the tree. tree →
• Today we say firefighter, because women do the job too. tree →
• Fireman Sam is a children's TV show. tree →
• A fireman shovelled coal into the steam engine. tree →
• The fireman showed us how to check a smoke alarm. tree →
• In PE we learned a fireman's lift. tree →

Note

Plural: firemen. Modern, neutral word: firefighter. Emergency numbers: 999 (UK, Ireland also 112), 911 (USA, Canada), 000 (Australia), 111 (New Zealand).