A Fireman Once Made Fires, Not Put Them Out
Fireman means a firefighter, but on steam engines it meant the person shovelling coal into the fire. The modern job title is firefighter.
Fireman is the old word for a member of a fire brigade. On the railways it meant the opposite job: the fireman stood beside the driver and fed the firebox with coal. One word, two people, one making the fire and one killing it. Modern services use *firefighter*, which covers everyone.
- A firefighter (dated). *He served as a fireman for twenty years.*
- The stoker on a steam locomotive. *The driver and fireman.*
- Someone sent to fix crises (informal). *The company's fireman.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | fireman | An old fireman. |
| Plural | firemen | Six firemen. |
| Neutral | firefighter | A trained firefighter. |
| Related | fire brigade | Call the fire brigade. |
| Related | fire station | The station on Bridge Street. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Firefighters brought the blaze under control.The current term in news reporting.
- His grandfather was a fireman on the London line.Railway sense; the context makes it clear.
- They sent in a fireman to save the deal.Business slang for a troubleshooter.
Job titles that changed
- Fireman → firefighter
- Policeman → police officer
- Chairman → chair or chairperson
- Air hostess → flight attendant
- Postman → postal worker (though postman survives in Britain)
A compound of *fire* and *man*, recorded from the seventeenth century. Both jobs it named — tending a furnace and extinguishing fires — existed side by side for two centuries.
Should I say fireman or firefighter?
Firefighter. It is the official title in most services and it includes women, who have worked in fire services for decades.
Why was the stoker called a fireman?
Because his job was the fire. He kept the boiler hot; the driver handled the controls.