fireman

fire +‎ -man

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fireman (plural firemen)

1. (firefighting) Someone (implied male) who is skilled in the work of fighting fire.
2. (rail transport) A person (originally a man) who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler (originally, shoveling coal by hand), particularly on a railroad locomotive.
   • ca. 1913 The wreck of Old 97 [ballad, Blue Ridge Mountains], verse 3:

     He looked around his cab at his black greasy fireman, saying 'shovel on a little more coal, and when we cross that White Oak Mountain, you can watch Old 97 roll'.

   • 1938, Xavier Herbert, Capricornia, Chapter IX, p. 140,

     No grass grew under a train when the engineer let Fireman McLash take the throttle.

   • 2013 August 24, Sophie Wyllie, quoting Tina Pinney, “Volunteer Tina steams ahead and becomes qualified fireman on North Norfolk Railway”, in Eastern Daily Press‎, ISSN 1468-4039:

     I was elated to pass because there were times when I did not think I was physically capable. It is quite rare for a woman to become a fireman.

3. (rail transport) By extension of the above, an assistant on any locomotive, whether steam-powered or not.
4. (baseball) A relief pitcher.
5. (mining, historical) A safety inspector in coal mines.

• (firefighting): Historically meant only a man, but now used to refer to female firefighters as well. In modern usage, the gender-inclusive term firefighter is generally preferred.
• (rail transport): This term is commonly used for both males and females, firewoman is rarer in this sense.

• firewoman

• firefighter
• smoke eater

• tillerman
• stoker

• inframe