Definition

Noun: 1. A public water outlet, typically painted bright red, installed on a street or sidewalk, providing a pressurized water supply specifically for firefighters to use in extinguishing fires. It consists of a valve and one or more outlets to which fire hoses can be connected.

Usage

• The word "fire hydrant" is a compound noun. It is always used as a singular, countable noun.
• It is commonly found in urban and suburban settings along roadsides.
• The standard phrasing is to connect a hose to a fire hydrant or for water to come from a fire hydrant.

Examples

• The firefighters quickly connected their hoses to the fire hydrant on the corner.
• Parking too close to a fire hydrant is illegal and can result in a fine.
• The city is replacing all the old fire hydrants with new models.
• During the drill, they practiced opening the fire hydrant and controlling the water flow.

Advanced Usage

• "To tap a fire hydrant": This phrase means to access and use the water from a fire hydrant. It is often used in both literal firefighting contexts and metaphorically.
  • The crew tapped the nearest fire hydrant to begin attacking the blaze.
  • The new policy aims to tap a fire hydrant of creativity within the team.
• In some regions, a fire hydrant may be informally called a "fireplug," a term dating back to when water mains were plugged with wood.

Variants and Related Words

• Hydrant: A more general term for any upright pipe with a spout or outlet for drawing water from a main. A "fire hydrant" is a specific type of hydrant.
• Fireplug: (Informal, chiefly US) A synonym for "fire hydrant."
• Standpipe: A vertical pipe extending through a building to provide water for fire hoses on different floors. It serves a similar purpose but is installed inside structures.

Synonyms

• Fireplug
• Hydrant (when context clearly indicates use for firefighting)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "(As) dull as a fire hydrant": (Informal, humorous) An expression used to describe something or someone extremely boring or uninteresting. This plays on the idea of a static, inanimate object.
  • That lecture was as dull as a fire hydrant.

Noun

1. an upright hydrant for drawing water to use in fighting a fire