fireman's carry
1
5.5
- noun
- /ˈfaɪərmənz ˈkæri/
- Specialized
- And when she hoisted him over her shoulders in a fireman's carry, he moaned—from pain or humiliation, she couldn't be sure.
- shoulders in a fireman's carry
Examples
-
In an emergency, she quickly learned how to lift a person in a fireman's carry to ensure their safety.
-
By the time they arrived back at the hotel, Trevor was so fast asleep that Reuben had to haul him in a fireman's carry up to their room.
Fiction book (1999) -
I had to take him out to the street in a fireman's carry, and he just hung there on my shoulder, sleeping.
Fiction book (1999) -
Puts Armstrong over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.
Fiction book (2002) -
He took the old man's arm and threw it around his own neck in a fireman's carry.
Academic text (2010) -
He bent at the knees and waist, preparing to pick Chemayev up in a fireman's carry.
Fiction book (2001) -
CUT TO ANNIE—the moment she sees him come to life, she goes into action, lifting PAUL in a fireman's carry, starting the difficult climb back up the steep hill.
Fiction book (1990) -
The firefighter confidently demonstrated the fireman's carry technique to rescue the unconscious victim from the burning building.
-
During the training session, the instructor emphasized the importance of using a fireman's carry when moving injured individuals.
Synonyms
2
3.7
While someone carries you on their back or shoulders
1
8.1
On someone's back when another person carries them
Surface Forms
Morphology
fireman's + carry
The phrase composes straightforwardly from 'fireman' (a firefighter, shown in possessive form) + 'carry' (a way of carrying), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a method of carrying associated with firefighters. While the exact draped-over-the-shoulders technique might not be fully specified, the basic meaning 'a way to carry a person used by firemen' is directly derivable and cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
The noun fireman's carry comes from how a fireman would carry a person over his shoulders to get them out of a burning building. So it means 'a way of carrying someone over the shoulders' used in 'rescue' situations.