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Glite Dictionary
fireplug

fireplug

2 6.2
A short pipe in the street where firefighters connect hoses to get water
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪərˌplʌg/
  • Archaic
translation icon : hidrante
  • I jerked the car to a stop next to a fireplug in front of the clinic and jogged inside.

Examples

  • It's against the law to park alongside a fireplug.

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

  • I just want to let you know that you can't park alongside of a fireplug.

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

  • I don't suppose it makes any difference to you, but you're parked in front of a fireplug.

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

  • That's a fireplug.

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

  • It's against the law to park alongside a fireplug.

  • The firefighters quickly connected their hoses to the fireplug to combat the blaze.

  • During a parade, they accidentally blocked the fireplug with their floats.

Synonyms

hydrant
vsfireplug
42 3.4

A pipe with a tap that gives water for firefighters to attach hoses

is the more specific short street pipe used mainly for extinguishing fires
fire hydrant
vsfireplug
15 2.1

A tall pipe in the street with a tap for firefighters to get water

is shorter and lower to the ground rather than large and tall

Surface Forms

fireplug singular
fireplugs plural

Morphology

fireplug = fire + plug (semi-transparent) = fire + plug

Both components are clear words, but the specific sense 'fire hydrant' is a conventionalized object and not fully predictable from 'fire' + 'plug'.

Etymology

Fireplug comes from fire + plug: a 'plug' is a stopper for a pipe, and early street hydrants were like plugs you could open to let out water for a fire. So a fireplug is the short street pipe firefighters use to connect a hose and get water.