fire-trap

The old building is a dangerous fire-trap.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A building or structure that is dangerous in case of fire: A "fire-trap" is a building or enclosed space that lacks adequate exits, fire safety measures, or structural integrity, making it extremely hazardous if a fire occurs.
   • A place where people are trapped by fire: It can also refer to a location where people are unable to escape quickly due to poor design, blocked exits, or flammable materials.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old apartment building was condemned as a fire-trap because it had only one narrow staircase. (A structure unsafe in a fire due to insufficient exits.)
  • Firefighters warned that the nightclub was a fire-trap after discovering locked emergency doors. (A place where people could be trapped during a fire.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a fire-trap": to describe a building or vehicle that poses a high risk of fire-related injury or death.

  • The cheaply built wooden shed became a fire-trap when it caught alight. (The shed was dangerous because it burned quickly and had no escape routes.)

• "fire-trap conditions": circumstances in a structure that make it especially dangerous in a fire.

  • The factory was shut down due to fire-trap conditions, including blocked exits and flammable storage. (Hazardous fire safety violations.)

Variants and Related Words

• Firetrap (n): an alternative spelling of "fire-trap", meaning the same thing.

  • The old theatre was a firetrap, with no sprinklers and only one door. (A building dangerous in a fire.)

• Fire hazard (n): any material, condition, or structure that increases the risk of fire.

  • Stacking cardboard boxes near the heater is a fire hazard. (Something that makes fire more likely.)

Synonyms

• Death trap: a place or situation that is likely to cause death, especially in an emergency.

  • The rickety bridge was a death trap for anyone who crossed. (An extremely dangerous structure.)

• Inferno: a large, destructive fire; sometimes used metaphorically for a fire-prone building.

  • The warehouse became an inferno within minutes. (A building consumed by fire.)

Related Idioms

• Playing with fire: engaging in a risky or dangerous activity.

  • Leaving the stove on while you sleep is playing with fire. (Taking an unnecessary risk, possibly causing a fire.)

• Out of the frying pan into the fire: moving from a bad situation to a worse one.

  • He left his job in a fire-trap factory only to work in a mine that collapsed. (Going from one danger to another.)