fire truck

See also: firetruck

English

Etymology 1

From fire +‎ truck.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /faɪɚ tɹʌk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

fire truck (plural fire trucks)

2. (firefighting, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) A motor truck that serves as firefighting apparatus (a fire appliance).

   Alternative form: firetruck

   Hypernyms: truck < motor vehicle < vehicle

   Near-synonym: fire engine (often synonymous; sometimes precisely differentiated by equipment)

Usage notes

• In Britain (though not Australia), fire truck is considered an Americanism. Collins English Dictionary suggests, "in Britain, usually use fire engine." Cambridge Dictionary labels fire truck as "US" and defines it as fire engine.
• More precise distinctions in terminology are sometimes made in ways specific to a region or even (in some cases) to particular fire services. For example, some define a fire truck as a ladder truck, a vehicle used by firefighters to gain access to the upper stories of a building. Under this definition, unlike a fire engine, trucks do not have pumps or carry water.

Related terms

• fire company, fire department, fire service
• fire extinguisher
• fire insurance

Translations

ladder truck

• Afrikaans: brandweerwa
• Arabic: سيارة مطافئ
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雲梯車 / 云梯车

• Finnish: tikasauto (fi)
• Indonesian: branwir, mobil damkar, mobil tangga (literally “stair car”)
• Polish: wóz strażacki z drabiną m inan
• Spanish: camión contraincendios con escalera m
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can

fire truck in general — see also fire engine

• Polish: wóz strażacki m inan, samochód pożarniczy m inan

Etymology 2

From the similar initial and final sounds.

Interjection

fire truck

1. (euphemistic, colloquial) Fuck.