# fireman

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfaɪɹmən/ · frequency rank #22,377

## Definitions
1. Someone (especially one who is male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
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.
3. An assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
4. A relief pitcher (reflecting the figurative analogy of rescuing the situation).
5. A safety inspector in coal mines.

## Etymology
From fire + -man.

## Easily confused with
- **Furman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fireman-vs-furman)
- **freeman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fireman-vs-freeman)
- **foreman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fireman-vs-foreman)
- **fishman** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fireman-vs-fishman)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ffireman`, `fierman`, `fireamn`, `firemann`, `firemman`, `firemna`, `firmean`, `firreman`, `frieman`, `ifreman`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fireman