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fireman's carry

fireman's carry

1 5.5
A way of carrying a person over your shoulders to move them quickly
  • noun
  • /ˈfaɪərmənz ˈkæri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carga de bombero
  • 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

piggyback
vsfireman's carry
3.7

While someone carries you on their back or shoulders

is a rescue method that drapes someone across the shoulders for transport
pickaback
vsfireman's carry
8.1

On someone's back when another person carries them

is mainly used as an emergency drape to move an injured person

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.