pompiere

firefighter

noun pohm-PYEH-reh Rare

Origin: Borrowed from French pompier (pump operator), from pompe (pump), referring to early fire-engine operators.

Usage Note

Pompiere is the traditional everyday word for a firefighter; the official term is vigile del fuoco. The feminine is pompiéra (increasingly used). Plural: pompieri. In colloquial use, calling someone un pompiere can also (humorously) mean someone who 'puts out fires' — a fixer.

Examples

"I pompieri hanno spento l'incendio in un'ora."

Natural Translation

The firefighters put out the fire in an hour.

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