fire brigade
5
2.3
- noun
- /ˈfaɪər brɪˌɡeɪd/
- UK
:
cuerpo de bomberos
- I was thinking I'd like to join your fire brigade.
- a volunteer fire brigade
- call the fire brigade
- join our fire brigade
Neighbors heard the fire screams, called the fire brigade.
- Neighbors heard the fire screams, called the fire brigade.
- The Ltda, the fire service, the fire brigade are changing laws.
- I paid enough for a full fucking fire brigade crew.
Examples
-
They would have to call the fire brigade to come and shift you.
-
The fire brigade found a girl near the scene.
Fiction book (2002) -
The fire brigade once got my head out of some railings.
-
Call the fire brigade!
-
They'll be the fire brigade who will try to keep the Rams' house from burning down...
Blog text (14) -
The Munich fire brigade reports that the blackout was caused by an explosion at a transformer station.
Blog text (12) -
In the distance, the sound of fire brigade sirens swirled through the aborted Christmas night.
Fiction book (1999) -
Fire brigades are managing to keep the blaze under control, but casualties are feared heavy, and the death toll is still rising.
-
The fire brigade arrived quickly to extinguish the flames that engulfed the building.
-
In case of an emergency, it is important to contact the fire brigade immediately.
Synonyms
73
1.1
A group that sends people to put out fires and help in emergencies in the local area
32
4.0
A group of people organised to do a specific job, often in emergencies
2
3.5
A group of trained people who fight fires in a local area
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a group trained to put out fires and deal with emergencies' is directly derivable from combining 'fire' (the burning event) with 'brigade' (an organized team or force). This is a straightforward compositional pattern with clear cross‑linguistic equivalents, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Fire brigade comes from combining fire and brigade, where 'brigade' was a name for a group of people, often soldiers, so the phrase named the group sent to fight fires. That's why fire brigade now means 'a team trained to put out fires'.