FIR – nouns
– DEAL a fir tree …B1900 Eng. dial.
– DEAL-TREE a fir tree …a1825 Eng. dial.
FIR CONE – nouns
– CLOG † a fir cone; a pine cone …L16
– DEAL-APPLE a fir cone …1819 Eng. dial.
– DEALSEY a fir cone …1810 Eng. dial.
– DELSEED a fir cone …1810 Eng. dial.
– SCRAB-APPLE a fir cone …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
fir cone – verbs
– APPLE to gather fir cones or ‘apples’ …Bk1898 Eng. dial.
FIRE – adjectives
– ACCENDIBLE capable of being kindled, or set on fire …1630 obs. rare
– ACCENSED † kindled, set on fire, inflamed …1573
– BOLD of a fire: great, big …Bk1911 Sc.
– FLAMMIVOMOUS * vomiting or belching flames of fire, as a volcano …1663-76
– IGNEO-AQUEOUS due to the agency of both fire and water …1882
– IGNEOUS of the nature of fire; fiery …1664
– IGNIBLE †* pert. to fire …1612
– IGNIFEROUS producing fire; fire-bearing …1618
– IGNIFIC producing fire …1753
– IGNIFLUOUS †* flowing with fire …1623
– IGNIFORM * of the form of fire …1744
– IGNIGENOUS * produced by fire, or by the action of fire …1727
– IGNIPAROUS †* productive of fire …1684
– IGNIPOTENT ruling or having power over fire; mighty by fire …1656
– IGNITIVE * having the property of igniting or taking fire …1823
– IGNIVOMOUS vomiting fire …1603
– IN FULL BLOOM of a fire: burning strong …Bk1942 Amer. sl.
– INGLE-LIGHTED lighted by the fire …1818 Sc.
– LUSTY † of a fire: strong, powerful …1576
– QUICK of fire or flames: burning strongly or briskly …c1374
– RANTING of a fire: blazing, roaring …1725 Sc.
– REEVING of a fire: burning brightly …Bk1904 Sc.
fire – adverbs
– AGATE briskly, as a fire …Bk1898 Eng. dial.
– RASH of a fire: fiercely, clearly …1875 Eng. dial.
fire – nouns
– ACCENDIBILITY capacity of being kindled, set on fire or inflamed …1859
– AD † a fire, a blazing pile, a funeral pyre …a900
– AIR OF THE FIRE the heated atmosphere surrounding a fire …1877 Eng. dial.
– AIZE a large blazing fire …Bk1898 Sc.
– ANNA MARIA a domestic fire …L19 Brit. rhyming sl. (pronunciation = Mar-eye-a)
– AVE MARIA a domestic fire …L19 rhyming sl. (pronunciation = Mar-eye-a)
– BALE 1. † a great consuming fire; a conflagration; a blazing pile, a bonfire …a1000
2. a signal or beacon fire …1455 Sc. arch.
– BALE-FIRE 1. a great fire in the open air; a blazing pile or heap kindled to consume anything; in Old English, the fire of a funeral pile …a1000
2. a great fire kindled as a signal; a beacon-fire …1805
3. any great fire; a bonfire …1800-24
– BARNEY MAGUIRE a fire …20C Aust. & US rhyming sl.
– BEEK what warms; a basking in the sun or warmth of a fire …Bk1911 Sc.
– BEETING † making a fire, kindling …1517
– BETTING † material for a fire; fuel …1521
– BEVIE a large fire …Bk1911 Sc.
– BLAST a small wood-fire in a fireplace …1899 Amer. dial.
– BURNOUT a particularly destructive fire, esp. one that razes buildings …1906 Amer. dial.
– DACKER † the fading of the fire when its heat abates …1813 Sc.
– ELD †* fire …c1200
– ERIF fire …M19 back-slang
– FALSE FIRE a fire made to deceive an enemy, or as a night-signal …1711
– FIRESHINE the light from a fire …1984 Amer. dial.
– GLEDE a red hot coal carried on a small tongs from one pioneer cabin to another to start fires …1847 Amer. dial.
– GLEED a red hot coal carried on a small tongs from one pioneer cabin to another to start fires …1847 Amer. dial.
– HAPPERING the snapping or crackling of an ember in a fire …1881 Eng. dial.
– I DESIRE a fire …Bk1896 rhyming sl.
– IGNEDUCT †* a vent or passage for fire …1676
– IGNIPOTENCE †* prevalency against or power over fire …1727
– IGNIVOMOUSNESS fire vomiting quality, such as that of volcanoes or burning mountains …1727
– ILDER fire …1897 Sc.
– INGLE fire, flame; a fire in a room; the furnace of a kiln …1737 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– INGLE-GLEED the flames or blaze of a fire; firelight; a blazing fireside …Bk1902 Sc.
– INGLE-LOWE the flames or blaze of a fire; firelight; a blazing fireside …1798 Sc.
– MACINTYRE fire …1996 UK rhyming sl.
– MONSOON BUCKET a helicopter-borne water container used for aerial bombardment of forest fires …1997 Can.
– MUD chemical fire retardant dropped from the air …2000 US sl.
– MUSHROOM a fire that spreads out and downward when reaching a ceiling …1954 US firefighting usage
– NEIST a spark of fire, esp. the last glowing fragment of a dying fire …1866 Sc.
– NIST a spark of fire, a live coal; a very small fire …1886 Sc.
– NOGGIN small pieces of wood used to start a fire …1967 Amer. dial.
– OBADIAH a fire …20C rhyming sl.
– PADDY MCGUIRE a fire …1988 Sc. rhyming sl.
– PRAIRIE COAL hunks of dried cow dung used as fuel for a fire …20C US colloq.
– QUENCH-FIRE †* an apparatus, or substance for extinguishing fires …1667
– RANDON † a rush or stream, as of words, fire …c1440
– RED-COCK an incendiary fire …Bk1903 sl.
– REEVER anything large and quickly moving, as a blazing fire, a high wind, a swift boat …Bk1904 Sc.
– SCALE-FIRE † a house or town on fire …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
– SEED a burning coal covered with ashes to preserve a fire overnight …1931 Amer. dial.
– SIPHON † a kind vessel made of tanned hides to carry water in, to quench fire that is raging amongst dwelling houses; a fire-bucket …1688
– SPUNK a small fire …1802 Sc.
– SPUNKIE a small fire …B1900 Sc.
– TANDLE a large fire in the open air, a bonfire; esp. one made at certain seasons in the year, as on May Day, Midsummer Eve, or the first of November …1788 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
– TANLE a large fire in the open air, a bonfire; esp. one made at certain seasons in the year, as on May Day, Midsummer Eve, or the first of November …1788 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
– TAWNLE a bonfire; any large fire …1802 Sc.
– TEND fire …B1900 Eng. dial.
– TINDER † fire, a spark …1570
– TINNY a fire …E19 sl.
– VLONKERS sparks of fire …1892 Eng. dial.
– WHITE MAN’S FIRE a campfire that is larger than necessary …1910 Amer. dial.
fire – person
– ACCENSOR one who sets on fire or kindles; in the Roman Catholic Church, a minister or servant whose business it is to light and trim the candles and tapers …Bk1883
– ASH-CHAT a person who crouches over the fire …Bk1898 Eng. dial.
– ASH-LURDIN one who crouches over the fire …Bk1898 Eng. dial.
– ASS-CAT a lazy person who crouches over the fire …1808 Eng. dial.
– AX-WADDLE one who collects and deals in ashes; hence, one who crouches over the fire, a dirty person …1746 Eng. dial.
– AX-WADDLER one who collects and deals in ashes; hence, one who crouches over the fire, a dirty person …1746 Eng. dial.
– HEARTH-FELLOW a fireside companion …1895
– IGNICOLIST a fire worshipper …1816
– WAIT-GLEED † one who sits lazily watching the fire …c1310
fire – verbs
– ABER to stir up and make bright, as a fire …1916 Sc.
– ACCEND † to kindle, to set light to, to set on fire …1432-50
– BACK to bank a fire …1905 Sc.
– BAIT of a fire: to feed …1869 Eng. dial.
– BEEK to warm before the fire; to make warm; to bask in the sun or warmth of a fire …Bk1911
– BEET † to make, kindle, put on a fire …c885 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
– BETINE †* to set fire to …1659
– BLENT of fire: to flash …Bk1911 Sc.
– DAMP to put out a fire, etc. …Bk1900 Eng. dial.
– DARR to poke the fire too much, so that it goes out …1908 Sc.
– FANG A-FIRE to catch fire …1873 Eng. dial.
– FIRE-SET to set fire to …1939 Amer. dial.
– FUFF to puff, to blow: said of a breeze, fire, etc. …1513 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– HAP to make up a fire, to stack or heap it up so as to keep it in …1820 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– HEAL to rake up a fire; to cover a fire …1691 Eng. dial.
– IGNIFY * to set on fire; to cause to burn …a1586
– INCENDIATE †* to set fire to; to burn; to make fire of …a1701
– MEND to tend or add fuel to a fire …1884 Amer. dial.
– OUTEN to extinguish a fire; to turn off a light …1878 Amer. dial.
– PASH to stir or poke a fire …1886 Eng. dial.
– QUENCH † of fire, a burning thing, etc.: to be extinguished, to go out; to cease to burn or shine …c1290
– QUICK † of a fire: to kindle, to begin to burn …c1175
– RAKE to bank up a fire, to cover it with a small coal and cinders so that it will burn quietly all night …1887 Sc.
– RANGE to poke the fire; to clear out the bars of a grate …1886 Sc.
– RANT to blow or stir up a fire; to blaze, to burn fiercely …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– REST to make up a fire for the night …1773 Sc.
– RIDDLE to poke up a fire; to clear a grate …Bk1904 Eng. dial.
– SCALE vb. to stir, to poke, or to rake out a fire; to clear away the ashes …1790 Eng. dial.
– SKARE to poke out ashes; to clear out a fire by poking …1674 Eng. dial.
– SKEER to poke out ashes; to clear out a fire by poking …1674 Eng. dial.
– SUCCEND † to set on fire, to kindle, to burn …1432-50
– TAKE WITH to kindle; to catch fire …1822 Sc.
– TED † to burn wood fires …B1900 Eng. dial.
– TEND to kindle, to light, to set fire to …1851 Eng. dial.
– TEND UP to make up a fire; to add fuel to a fire …B1900 Eng. dial.
– TICKLE to stir a fire slightly …1589
– TIMBER † to make up or add fuel to a fire …1486
– TIND † to set fire to; to ignite, to light, to kindle, as a fire, lamp, torch, flame, etc. …a1000 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
– TOAST † to destroy or disintegrate with fire …1577
– TORCH to deliberately set fire to something, esp. in order to claim insurance money …1931 sl., orig. US
– VAMP DOWN to make up a fire that it may burn some time …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– WARM THE WHOLE OF ONE’S BODY to stand with one’s back to the fire …20C sl.
– WATER OUT to put out a fire with water …1809 Amer. dial.
FIREARMS – see GUN
FIRE FIGHTER, FIREMAN – nouns
– BAG, THE in the police and fire departments: a uniform …1944 Amer. sl.
fire fighter, fireman – person
– ASBESTOS JOE an asbestos-suited firefighter aboard an aircraft carrier …1943 US Navy sl.
– BITTER † one who has charge of a ‘bit’ or fire-bucket; a fireman …c1467
– DUCK a firefighter …1997 New York police sl.
– FIRE EATER a fire fighter …US Civil War usage
– HELLFIGHTER a firefighter specially trained to fight fires in gas or oil wells …1968 US sl.
– HYACK in British Columbia: a volunteer fireman …1959 Can. Chinook jargon
– KINK-CHASER a fireman delegated to straighten out the kinks or bends in hose line …1944 Amer. Fire Dept. usage
– LOO a police or fire lieutenant …1960s US sl.
– PAINTER a firefighter assigned to a hook-and-ladder truck …1954 US sl.
– QUACK a firefighter …1997 UK police sl.
FIREFIGHTING – nouns
– SNAKE, THE in firefighting: the hose …1984 US sl.
– SPEAR a firefighter’s hook …1954 US sl.
FIREFLY – nouns
– CANDLE BUG a firefly …1959 Amer. dial.
– CANDLE FLARE a firefly …1965 Amer. dial.
– CANDLE FLY a firefly …1965 Amer. dial.
– CANDLE MILLER a firefly …1965 Amer. dial.
– FIRE BOB a firefly, a lightning bug …1825 Amer. dial.
– FIREBUG a firefly …1789 Amer. dial.
– FIRELIGHT BUG a firefly …1939 Amer. dial.
– JACK-O’-LANTERN a firefly, a glowworm …1966 Amer. dial.
– JACK-O-MY-LANTERN a firefly, a glowworm …1966 Amer. dial.
– LAMP BUG a firefly …1968 Amer. dial.
– LAMP FLY a firefly; a glow-worm …1840
– LIGHT BUG a firefly …1966 Amer. dial.
– LIGHTENING BUG n. a firefly …1778 Amer. dial.
– LIGHTER FLY. a firefly …1956 Amer. dial.
– LIGHTING BUG. a firefly …1966 Amer. dial.
– LIGHTNING BUG a firefly …1778 Amer. dial.
– THIRD-SHIFT MOSQUITO a firefly …1969 Amer. dial.
– WILL-O’-THE-WISP a firefly; a lightning bug …1939 Amer. dial.
FIREPLACE – nouns
– INGLE a hearth, fireplace, or fireside; a chimney-corner …1813 Sc. & Eng. dial.
FIRESIDE – nouns
– HEARTH-STEAD the place of a hearth; fireside; hence, homestead …c1475
– INGLE a hearth, fireplace, or fireside; a chimney-corner …1813 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– INGLE-GLEED the flames or blaze of a fire; firelight; a blazing fireside …Bk1902 Sc.
FIREWOOD – nouns
– BAVIN brushwood, firewood …1577
– BILLETING firewood …Bk1898 Eng. dial.
– BUTT a log suitable for firewood …1956 Amer. dial.
– ELDIN any kind of fuel, esp. inflammable material such as peat, sticks, brushwood, etc; firewood …1724 Sc.
– HAG brushwood, branches of felled trees used for fuel or firewood …1820 Sc.
– HAG PILE a pile or stack of firewood …1882 Sc.
– HAG STACK a pile or stack of firewood …1882 Sc.
– QUERDOOD the small upper branches and loppings of trees, etc., cut into lengths and stacked for sale as firewood …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– SCOWS firewood, brushwood …1882 Sc.
– TANNEL dried twigs or other vegetation used for fuel, firewood …1887 Sc.
– TENDLE † firewood; dried twigs or furze, etc. used for fuel …B1900 Sc.
– WOODJAM a container for holding firewood …1994 Amer. dial.
firewood – verbs
– RICK to stack in an orderly fashion, esp. firewood …1899 Amer. dial.
FIREWORKS – nouns
– ASH BOMB a small but relatively powerful firecracker, cylindrically shaped and covered with tinfoil …1969 Amer. dial.
– ASHCAN a small but powerful firecracker, its explosive effects intensified by the layer of tinfoil in which it is wrapped …1950s US sl.
– BABY GIANT a medium-sized firecracker …1965 Amer. dial.
– BABY-WAKER a firecracker …1947 Amer. dial.
– BACKRACKETS fireworks …1890 Eng. dial.
– BANGER a type of firework that explodes loudly
– BLOCKBURSTER a large firecracker or cherry bomb …1968 Amer. dial.
– BLOCKBUSTER a large firecracker or cherry bomb …1954 Amer. dial.
– BOBBY-BOMB. a kind of firecracker – pull the string on each end and it explodes …1966 Amer. dial.
– BOOBY TRAP a firework that is set off when the strings at each end are pulled …1967 Amer. dial.
– BUNGDUNG a large firecracker …1920s Aust. sl.
– BUSTER a firecracker …1966 Amer. dial.
– CANNON a large firecracker …1954 Amer. dial.
– CANNON-CRACKER a large firecracker …1871 Amer. dial.
– CHERRY BOMB a large, red, round, powerful firecracker …1965 Amer. dial.
– DAGO BOMB a large firecracker …1930s US sl.
– FINGER a firecracker …1965 Amer. dial.
– FINGERLING a small firecracker …1969 Amer. dial.
– FIRE POPPER a firecracker …1949 Amer. dial.
– FIZZER a firecracker that explodes with a hiss …Bk1913-17 Amer. dial.
– FIZZLER a defective firecracker that burns with a hissing sound; one that fails to go off …c1960 Amer. dial.
– FRAP the noise of a cracker …Bk1875 Eng. dial.
– JACKSON CRACKER a firecracker …1877 Amer. dial.
– LADY-CRACKER a small firecracker …1940s US sl.
– LADY-FART a small firecracker …1940s US sl.
– LADY-FINGER a small firecracker …1944 US sl.
– PACK-RACKET a kind of firework constructed so as to explode with a succession of loud reports; a cracker …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– PENNY POOPER a small firecracker …1986 Amer. dial.
– PENNY POPPER a small firecracker …1966 Amer. dial.
– POPCRACKER a firecracker …1884 Amer. dial.
– SALUTE a noise-making firework …1923 Amer. dial.
– SHOO-SHOO a failed firecracker that is later broken open and lit …1917 Amer. dial.
– SHOO-SHOO BABY a failed firecracker that is later broken open and lit …1917 Amer. dial.
– SHOOTING CRACKER a firecracker …1849 Amer. dial.
– SHOOTING POPPER a firecracker …1849 Amer. dial.
– SISSER, SIZZER a firecracker that is broken open and lit to make a hissing noise …1965 Amer. dial.
– SISSLER, SIZZLER a firecracker that is broken up and lit to make a hissing noise …1965 Amer. dial.
– SIZZLE a firecracker that is broken up and lit to make a hissing noise …1965 Amer. dial.
fireworks – verbs
– BURN to set off firecrackers …1972 Amer. dial.
– FIZZLE to make a hissing sound; to hiss or sputter, as a firework, etc. …1859
FIRM – adjectives
– FASTREDE †* firm in purpose, inflexible, steadfast …c888
– KRAGDADIG resolute, firm, vigorous …1952 S. Afr.
– NASH firm, stiff, hard …Bk1905 Eng. dial.
– RANK * firm, strong …1848
– SICKER having a firm foundation or support; firm, unshaken …1297 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
– SINEWED strong, firm, vigorous, powerful …1604
FIRMLY – adverbs
– FASTLY † firmly, unwaveringly, steadfastly; with confidence …c1175 obs. exc. Amer. dial.
– HARD tightly, firmly, securely …1889 Sc. & Eng. dial.
– HARDLY † firmly …a1225
– SICKER effectively, strongly, firmly …c1450 Sc. & N. Eng. dial.
FIRMNESS – nouns
– IRON HAND IN A VELVET GLOVE, AN rigid firmness accompanied by courtesy, politeness, and gentleness …1834
firmness – person
– JELLYFISH a person who lacks firmness of purpose …colloq.
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