fire-company
Definition
- Noun:
- A firefighting organization: "fire-company" refers to a group or unit organized to extinguish fires, typically a local fire department or brigade.
- An insurance company: Historically, "fire-company" also denotes a company that provides insurance against fire damage.
Usage Examples
- (A firefighting unit responded quickly.)
- (An insurance company specializing in fire coverage.)
Advanced Usage
"to run with a fire-company": to serve as a volunteer firefighter.
- In the 19th century, many young men ran with a fire-company for civic pride. (They volunteered for the local fire brigade.)
"fire-company rivalry": competition between different firefighting units, often historical.
- The fire-company rivalry in old New York led to street brawls. (Competing fire brigades fought over territory.)
Variants and Related Words
Fire brigade (n): a synonym for a firefighting organization.
- The fire brigade was called to the scene. (The firefighting team.)
Fire department (n): a municipal or official firefighting service.
- The fire department inspected the building for hazards. (The official fire service.)
Synonyms
- Firefighting unit: a group of people trained to put out fires.
- Fire service: the organized system for fire prevention and response.
- Insurance provider: a company that offers fire insurance.
Phrasal Verbs
Put out: to extinguish a fire.
- The fire-company put out the blaze quickly. (They extinguished the fire.)
Respond to: to answer a fire alarm or call.
- The fire-company responded to the emergency in record time. (They arrived at the scene.)
Related Idioms
Fight fire with fire: to use similar methods as an opponent.
- The fire-company had to fight fire with fire when the arsonist used accelerants. (They used extreme measures to counter the threat.)
Where there's smoke, there's fire: evidence suggests a problem.
- The fire-company knew that where there's smoke, there's fire, so they investigated thoroughly. (They assumed a fire was present based on signs.)