firemen

Noun

fireman (plural firemen)

1. Someone (especially male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
   • By February 1944 there were over two thousand women employed at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company [...]. There were also female firemen on almost every shipyard crane [...].1993, Nancy F. Cott, editor, History of Women in the United States. Historical Articles on Women's Lives and Activities. 15. Women and War, page 432

   Synonyms:

   firefighter, smoke eater

2. A person (originally a man) who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive or steamship.
   • 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'.ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 [ballad, Blue Ridge Mountains], verse 3

   Synonyms:

   stoker, bakehead

3. (broadly) An assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
4. A relief pitcher (reflecting the figurative analogy of rescuing the situation).
5. (historical) A safety inspector in coal mines.

See all 6 meanings of fireman