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fire extinguisher

fire extinguisher

35 2.4
A portable metal can you use to spray chemicals to put out small fires
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪər ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃər/
translation icon : extintor
  • The fire extinguisher was placed near the exit for easy access in an emergency.
  • use a fire extinguisher
  • get a fire extinguisher
  • grab a fire extinguisher

And my sister was trying to get the fire extinguisher going.

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Examples

  • And in this pouch, Kennon keeps a little fire extinguisher, which is probably a good idea if you have an older Italian car.

  • I assume there are fire extinguishers all around station.

  • Do you have a fire extinguisher in your office?

  • Do either of you know how to work a fire extinguisher?

  • Probably a good idea to have a fire extinguisher around.

  • Hope you brought your fire extinguisher.

  • Just like a fire extinguisher or a first aid kit, it's just good to have one on hand at all times.

  • Make sure you note that they don't have the proper fire extinguishers.

  • Fire alarms, as well as fire extinguishers, should be made readily available in the home.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Bethany darts out of bed and dashes out of the room, quickly returning with a fire extinguisher.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

extinguisher
vsfire extinguisher
46 3.4

A portable tool that puts out small fires with water or foam

is the portable chemical-filled unit that sprays directly onto flames
quencher
vsfire extinguisher
4.8

A tool or substance used to put out fires like those in a kitchen

is a portable device filled with chemicals, used by spraying onto small flames
asphyxiator
vsfire extinguisher
  • Archaic
9.9

A tool you hold to put out small fires by stopping the air

relies on spraying chemicals rather than stopping air to put out flames

How Powerful

pumper
  • Specialized
2 5.5
fire hose
6 2.3
fire extinguisher
35 2.4

Surface Forms

Morphology

fire + extinguisher

The meaning 'a device for putting out fires' is directly derivable from combining 'fire' with 'extinguisher' because 'extinguisher' is an agentive noun from 'extinguish' (to put out), so the compound denotes a device that extinguishes fires. This is a transparent, productive noun‑noun composition found cross‑linguistically and uses high‑frequency words, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Fire extinguisher comes from a simple image: fire is the flame and an extinguisher is a tool that 'puts out' that flame. Imagine pointing a small can and spraying to stop a fire — that's why the phrase means a device for 'putting out' small fires.